


'^^ ^uu, 



ONE YEAR OF 



COMPULSORY SCHOOL 
ATTENDANCE 



IN 



MARYLAND 

1916-1917 



11 Every child is entitled to a common school education. 

li It is unfair to tax a man to educate his neighbor's child 
and then permit the neighbor to keep that child out of 
school. 

^ The Attendance Law held in school all last year 5,500 
children who, but for the Law, would have been absent. 

H Our schools cost annually $30 per child in attendance. 

If And these 5,500 childien got $165,000 worth of school- 
ing. 

1[ It cost only $18,000 to hold them in school. 

^ Was this good business for the State? 

1[ It was. It paid 800%. 

1[ This pamphlet tells why. 



Report Covering One Year of 

Compulsory School Attendance 

in the Counties of Maryland 

INCLUDING 

An Account of Five Years of Compulsory School Attendance 
in Baltimore County 




ISSUED BY 

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION 

McCOY HALL, BALTIMORE 
M. BATES STEPHENS, State Superintendent of Schools 



L-dlZZ 

'Ms/is- 



D. of D- 

FEB 6 1913 



ONE YEAR OF COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE IN 
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF MARYLAND. 



The school year closing July 31, 1917, witnessed the completion 
of one year of compulsory school attendance throughout all the 
counties of Maryland. The General Assembly in its session of 1916, 
slightly modified the Compulsory School Attendance Law, which 
heretofore had applied only to Baltimore City and two counties, and 
made it apply to all the counties of the State. By its provisions, 
children seven to thirteen years of age must attend school the full 
term unless lawfully excused. Children of thirteen and fourteen 
years must attend at least one hundred days, and the entire term if 
not regularly and lawfully employed. Children fifteen and sixteen 
who have not finished the elementary school must attend at least one 
hundred days each year, and the entire term if not regularly and law- 
fully employed. 

As the law provides that necessary and legal absence may be 
excused, but does not define what constitutes lawful absence, the 
State Board of Education, at a meeting August 30, 1917, passed the 
following by-laws defining lawful absence and some other terms : 

LAWFUL ABSENCE. 

Absence shall be considered lawful only under the following conditions : 

1. Death in the immediate family. 

2. Illness of child. 

The principal shall require a physician's certificate from the parent or guar- 
dian of a child reported continuously absent for illness. 

3. Quarantine. 

Quarantine shall be imderstood to mean isolation by order of the local or of 
the State Board of Health, and a physician's certificate certifying the time 
of absence required by the quarantine shall be secured by the principal. 

4. Court summons. 

5. Incapacity. (Physical.) 

"Physical Incapacity" shall be interpreted as meaning such a state of ill- 
health or physical defect as shall render the instruction of the child im- 
practicable in any other than a special class or school ; and the attendance 
officer may require of the parent a certificate to this effect, signed by a 
reputable physician. 



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ABSENT CHILDREN. 

LAST NAME FINST NAME 







































tilt 



5 ° -J 



030 



Original 6 x 

PRINCIPAL'S 

HOOL No District No Prit 


4 inches. This is Obverse Side 

REPORT OF URGENT CASES 

■JCiPAL Date 




DISTANCE FROM SCHOOL. 
NORTH SOUTH 


FAST .. AWFST 


PARCNT on GUARDIAN POSTOFFICE ADDRESS MILES OR BLOCKS 


AkSEKT CHILDREN. 
LAST KAME FIRST NAME 


DATE OF BIRTH 


ATTENDANCE RECORD 


CAUSE OF 
ABSENCE* 




MONTH 


DAY 


YEAR 


z 

ft. ^ 

si* 


j DAYS UNLAWFULLY 
j ABSENT SINCE 
1 ENROLLED 


DATE LAST IN SCHOOL 


GRADE 











































































































E NUMBER 



.Children from this 



nily are now in regular attendance. 



METHOE OF TREATMENT 


DATE 


FORM letter No. I 




FORM LETTER No 2 




PERSONAL LETTER 




VISITED 




VISITED 




VISITED 




PROSECUTED 
RESULT 





* Use Code U for Cause of Absence. 

Ul. Indiflerence of parent. U5. Poverty. 

U2. Inditference of cliild. U6. Unlawfully employed. 

U3. Health of parent. D7. Truant. 

U4. Health of others in family. U8. Suspended. 

Reverse Side 
RECORD OF ATTENDANCE OFFICER 

PERSONS INTERVIEWED 



RESULT OF INTERVIEW 



SUBSEQUENT HISTORY 



6 Compulsory School Attendance 

6. Incapacity. (Mental.) 

"Mental Incapacity" shall be interpreted to mean feeble-mindedness or such 
nervous disorders as to make it either impossible for such a child to profit 
by the instruction given in the school, or impractical for the teacher prop- 
erly to instruct the normal pupils of the school ; and the attendance officer 
may require of the parent a certificate to this effect, signed by a reputable 
physician. 

7. Violent Storms. 

"Violent Storms" shall be interpreted to mean only such conditions of the 
weather as would endanger the health or safety of the child when in transit 
to and from school. 

DEFINITION OF TERMS. 

1. "Being thirteen years of age, or fourteen years of age" shall be construed to 

mean from the thirteenth to the fifteenth birthdays. 

2. "Being fifteen years of age, or sixteen years of age" shall be construed to 

mean from the fifteenth to the seventeenth birthdays. 

3. "Elementary School" shall be construed to mean the elementary school course 

of seven grades, as set forth in the State Course of Study. 

The State Superintendent was authorized to prepare and pre- 
scribe any blanks and report forms, necessary to promote an efficient 
and reasonably uniform administration of the law. The two forms 
reprodviced on pages 4 and 5, prepared with the assistance of Mr. 
John T- Hershner, Chief Attendance Officer for Baltimore County, 
and Mr. George L. Jones, General Secretary of the Henry Watson 
Children's Aid Society, were prescribed in September, 1916. 

Two letters were written to the county superintendents and at- 
tendance officers, explaining the blanks and interpreting the law- 
September 20, 1916. 
To the County Superintendent: 

1. I am sending you herewith copies of some by-laws adopted by the State 
Board of Education to supplement the Compulsory Attendance Law. 

2. I am sending, also, two sample report forms to be used by the teacher 
or principal in reporting absent pupils to the attendance officer. The monthly 
report of absent pupils furnishes the names of pupils absent three or more days 
and such other information about them as will assist the attendance officer in 
his work. The other form is to be used for reporting urgent cases and such 
cases as require more immediate and special attention, and should be sent to the 
attendance officer as occasion demands. 

These two forms are prescribed by the authority of the State Board of 
Education, under Chapter 3, Sec. 13, of the School Law. They may be modified 
or expanded to include any additional information desired; but the form finally 
adopted by any county should include, at least, the information called for on 
these forms. Reports to this office that may be called for later, can be com- 
piled from the reports on these forms, if they are kept on file. 

The report forms are offered as samples. After making such modifications 
as you deem necessary, you should have them duplicated in sufficient quantity 
to supply each school in the county. I do not expect the forms to be entirely 
satisfactory. In drafting them the best available experience has been drawn 
upon, but i am hoping that I may have suggestions for further improving them 
by another year. 

3. Recently I had a conference with Chairman Fox, of the Bureau of Labor 
and Statistics, in regard to the apparent conflict between the Child Labor Law 
and the Compulsory Attendance Law. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics has 
heretofore been authorized to issue employment certificates to fourteen and 
fifteen-year-old children who had completed the fifth grade. The Compulsory 



Maryland Public Schools 7 

School Attendance Law does not interfere with the Bureau's authority to issue 
such employment certificates, but it adds the requirement that fourteen-year-old 
children attend school at least one hundred days each year, beginning not later 
than November first, and that fifteen-year-old children do likewise unless they 
have completed the elementary school course. 

To avoid misunderstandings with the employers of child labor, Mr. Fox 
plans to stamp the employment certificates of every fourteen-year-old child, 
residing in or working in the counties, and the certificate of such child fifteen 
years old who has not completed the elementary school course, with the state- 
ment that the child holding the certificate is required by Sec. 162 of the school 
code to attend school one hundred days, beginning not later than November first. 

No employment certificate heretofore issued to a fourteen-year-old child, 
residing in or working in the counties, excuses him from the one hundred days' 
attendance. An employment certificate already issued to a fifteen-year-old <?hild, 
residing in or working in the counties, does not excuse him from the one 
hundred days' required attendance unless the child has completed the elemen- 
tary school course. 

4. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics does not deal with either thirteen- 
year-old or sixteen-year-old children. Note that the law requires thirteen and 
fourteen-year-old children who are not lawfully employed to attend school all 
the year, and that it requires fifteen and sixteen-year-old children who are 
not lawfully employed to attend the full year if they have not completed the 
elementary school course. Note that employment certificates are not issued to 
thirteen-year-old children, and that sixteen-year-old children do not require em- 
ployment certificates to be lawfully employed. 
^ 5. Extreme care should be exercised in enforcing the provisions of the 

Compulsory Attendance Law. Although it will be necessary in some cases to 
prosecute, the attendance officer's best service will not be rendered by force. 
Prosecution should be the very last resort, and, when Used, should be applied 
first in the cases of the most flagrant offenders. Before prosecuting the attend- 
ance officer should be very sure that he has sufficient evidence to make a good 
case. 

6. One County Superintendent reports good results from having the prin- 
cipal send notices similar to the following to the parents of absent children 
when it is impossible for the teacher to have a personal interview with those 
parents : 

Your child has been absent from school days without 

lawful excuse. Is there any good reason why he should not be 
reported to the Attendance Officer? 



Principal. 
7. I am sending an extra copy of this letter in order that you may furnish 
your Attendance Officer a copy. 

Yours very truly, 

M. BATES STEPHENS, 

State Superintendent. 

October 24, 1916. 
To the County Superintendent: 

Further study of the Compulsory School Attendance Law (Sec. 162) seems 
to warrant the following opinion, which is given in answer to questions raised 
by one of the Attendance Officers. This interpretation is made under the author- 
ity of Sec. 19, Chapter 3A, of the School Law : 

1. The true intent and meaning of the law (Sec. 162) does not 
make school attendance compulsory above the elementary school. 

2. It is not the intention of the law (Sec. 162) to be retroactive 
and apply to children who were granted employment certificates prior 



S Co^rruLsoRV School Attendance 

to June 1, 1916; provided such children are now regularly and lawfully 
employed. 
I am sending an extra copy of this letter for the information of your 
Attendance Oflficer. 

Very trulv yours, 

M. BATES STEPHENS, 

State Superintendent. 

On the whole the attendance ofificers used persuasion rather than 
force, but the magistrates before whom the prosecutions were 
brought co-operated splendidly with the attendance officers in en- 
forcing the law. However, some questions arose in regard to court 
procedure in prosecuting offenders and the State Superintendent 
addressed a letter to the Attorney General for advice and informa- 
tion. 

THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT'S LETTER. 

I am submitting herewith some questions on Sections 160-172 of Chapter 506 
of the Acts of 1916, with reference to procedure before magistrates against 
parents in the enforcement of the Compulsory School Attendance Law. 

1. Is the teacher's daily register evidence of age when the teacher entered 
the age of the child as reported by the child upon his entrance in school? Is 
such record of age admissible when the date of birth has been verified con- 
tinuously by such reports from the same child from year to year? Is the 
teacher's record admissible as evidence when the age was entered in the same 
way from the oral or written statements of the parent? 

2. If the parent questions the accuracy of the teacher's record can such 
parent be required to establish the age of the child by birth certificate, baptismal 
certificate, vital records, or in any other way? 

3. Does the School Attendance Officer have authority to serve the warrant 
in person on the accused and make the arrest? 

4. Is it necessary to name the child or children unlawfully absent from 
school in the warrant drawn for the arrest of a parent, or may the warrant read 
"who has minor children unlawfully absent from school," without specifying 
names and ages? 

THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S OPINION. 

I beg to reply to your recent inquiries relative to prosecutions against parents 
under the Compulsory School Attendance Law, Bagb/s Code, Art. 77. Sees. 
153-172, as amended by the Act of 1916, Chapter 506, Sees. 156, 162 and 173, 
which amend Sees. 156, 153A and 173 of Art. 77. 

1. The teacher's daily register, which contains the age of the child as given 
either by the child or by the parent, is not direct legal evidence of the child's 
age in a prosecution against the parent. If the statement in this register as to 
the child's age was given by the child, then it cannot legally be used at all 
against the parent. If the statement was given by the parent, then the register 
itself is still not direct evidence against the parent. 

Weaver vs. Leiman. 52 Md., 708. 
Hall vs. Trimble, 104 Md., 323. 

In this latter case, however, the teacher herself could testify to what the 
parent told her was the child's age, and the teacher could refresh her recollec- 
tion on this point by referring to the register. But it is the teacher's testimony 
that is admissible, and not the register. 

The statement in the register as to the child's age is not made admissible as 
legal evidence by reason of the fact tliat it may have been repeatedly verified 
by the child. 



Maryland Public Schools 9 

Legally admissible direct evidence of the child's age, in a prosecution against 
the parent, would consist of : 

a. The testimony of the child. 

Loose vs. State, 120 Wise, 122. 
Commonwealth vs. Phillips, 162 Mass., 162. 
Chicago vs. Beite, 192 111., App. 87. 

b. The testimony of the teacher of any oral admission by the parent 
to the teacher of the child's age. 

c. Any written statement or admission by the parent as to the 
child's age, such as, I understand, your Board intends to secure from 
each parent in making up the school census required by law. 

d. A certified copy of the child's birth record from the books of 
the Registrars of Vital Statistics, or the register itself. Bagby's Code, 
Art. 43, Sees. 10, 11, 14-15. 

2. The School Attendance Officer has not the authority to arrest the parent. 
Sec. 157 of Art. 11 of the Code authorizes him to arrest truant children, but 
he is not authorized to arrest parents. See Acts 1916, Chap. 506, Sec. Ti (2), 
page 1019, and Sec. 156, page 1046. In such cases the officer should swear out 
a warrant in the usual way. 

3. The warrant for the parent should, I think, name the child who is alleged 
to be unlawfully alisent from school. The warrant should also either specify the 
age of the child, or at least should state the age class to which, under Sec. 162, 
the child belongs. (Signed) ALBERT C. RITCHIE, 

Attorney-General . 

Although the certain important provisions of the law did not go 
into effect until November 1, reports from the counties at the close 
of the fall term of school which ended about the middle of Novem- 
ber, showed a marked increase in school attendance. 

There was an increase of 9,023 pupils or 7.5% in the average at- 
tendance of all the counties during the first term of 1916-1917, over 
the average attendance of 1915-1916, while the increase for the first 
term of 1915-1916 over the first term of 1914-1915 was 1.4% and the 
increase in 1914-1915 over 1913-1914 was 4.0%. 

The following table shows the per cent, of increase during the 
fall term by counties. The minus sign before any number, indicates 
a decrease. The two counties represented by numbers 22 and 23 
and which show decreases in their attendance, had certain schools 
closed during a part of the term. 

SHOWING THE PER CENT. OF INCREASE IN AVERAGE ATTEND- 
ANCE FOR THE FALL TERM OF THE SCHOOL YEAR 1916-1917 
AND FOR EACH OF THE TWO PRECEDING YEARS : 





All Children. 




White. 






Colored 




Zount 


y 1914 


1915 


1916 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1914 


1915 


1916 




1915 


1916 


1917 


1915 


1916 


1917 


1915 


1916 


1917 


1. 


5.9 


-.7 


25.3 


7.0 


-1.4 


20.9 


2.7 


.6 


32.6 


2. 


4.6 


.1 


17.1 


7.7 


- 2 


12.1 


.5 


.6 


22.6 


3. 


5.8 


-5.4 


16.3 


-2.5 


3.4 


14.4 


24.8 


33.2 


21.7 


4. 


9.2 


3.2 


15.4 


11.8 


-.3 


8.7 


3.4 


10.4 


26.4 


5. 


10.5 


2.5 


14.2 


9.0 


4.7 


11.6 


14.0 


-3.1 


27.1 


6. 


7.5 


-.6 


13.6 


5.6 


-.2 


11.5 


14.0 


-2.0 


18.1 


7. 


9.5 


1.3 


12.3 


8.9 


3.9 


9.0 


11.3 


-7.3 


22.9 



Compulsory School Attendance 





All 


Children. 




White. 






Colored 




County 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1914 


1915 


1916 




1915 


1916 


1917 


1915 


1916 


1917 


1915 


1916 


1917 


8. 


2>.l 


2.1 


11.7 


3.9 


l.Z 


11.4 


-2.0 


-1.2 


18.9 


9. 


-1.3 


3.8 


10.6 


-.6 


4.0 


-.6 


-2.9 


3.2 


27.6 


10. 


1.9 


2.7 


10.4 


-2.6 


2.0 


4.5 


.4 


-13.4 


21.3 


11. 


7.6 


-2.0 


9.6 


7.1 


0.0 


9.0 


9.1 


-8.3 


11.5 


12. 


1.3 


1.4 


9.1 


1.4 


1.9 


9.2 


-.4 


-8.8 


7.4 


13. 


6.0 


-8.5 


8.0 


9.7 


-11.7 


8.2 


-27.1 


13.2 


6.3 


14. 


-1.6 


6.6 


7.0 


.7 


3.1 


6.9 


-9.4 


6.9 


7.1 


15. 


.1 


10.4 


6.8 


5.4 


4.1 


2.9 


-l.Z 


18.9 


11.6 


16. 


2.2 


-.4 


4.6 


1.6 


-.3 


5.2 


7.1 


-.7 


-.8 


17. 


2.7 


2.8 


4.3 


2.7 


3.0 


4.5 


3.5 


-9.2 


-6.1 


18. 


5.3 


3.2 


4.2 


5.1 


4.4 


3.6 


8.0 


0.0 


10.6 


19. 


Z.I 


-.6 


4.2 


11.4 


2.7 


2.0 


-12.7 


-8.4 


8.5 


20. 


.6 


1.2 


4.0 


.8 


1.2 


4.0 


- 


_ 


_ 


21. 


1.4 


3.2 


1.8 


1.8 


1.8 


.1 


-1.5 


12.2 


11.9 


22. 


3.1 


2.2 


-1.1 


z:i 


.1 


-2.8 


1.6 


7.1 


2.4 


23. 


-.4 


1.7 


-3.8 


.1 


2.5 


-2.5 


-1.7 


-.2 


-1.Z 




All Counties — 


















4.0 


1.4 


7.5 


4.3 


1.7 


6.0 


2.6 


-.1 


14.7 



In studing the increases in the daily attendance given below for 
each county during the last five years, it should be born in mind 
that there are several factors affecting the increase or decrease in 
any given county, and the reader is advised not to judge the enforce- 
ment of the law in any one county solely by the increase in attend- 
ance. A rapidly growing population, or a large number of children 
heretofore out of school would tend to make an unusual showing. 
Counties which already had a large percent of their children in 
school, which have a decreasing population, or part of the schools 
closed for any length of time would tend to make a poor showing. 

As these several factors tend to offset each other, the increase in 
the State as a whole can be taken as a fair measure of the influence 
of the School Attendance Law. 

TABLE SHOWING AVERAGE ATTENDANCE IN THE SEVERAL COUN- 
TIES BY YEARS AND THE INCREASES OVER PRECEDING 
YEARS, FOR THE FIVE YEARS ENDING JULY 31. 1917. 



County 



Allegany 



Anne Arundel 







Increase 


Per Cent. 




Average 


over 


of increase 


Year 


attendance 


preceding 


over 




for year 


year 


preceding 
year 


1917 


9,521 


715 


7.5 


1916 


8,806 


297 


3.4 


1915 


8,509 


254 


3.0 


1914 


8,255 


297 


3.6 


1913 


7,958 






1917 


5.953 


563 


9.3 


1916 


5.390 


87 


1.6 


1915 


5.303 


195 


i.l 


1914 


5.108 


381 


7.5 


1913 


4,727 







Maryland Public Schools 



11 



Count)' 



Baltimore 



Calvert 



Caroline 



Carroll 



Cecil 



"harles 



Dorchester 



Frederick 



Garrett 







Increase 


Per Cent. 




Average 


over 


of increase 


Year 


attendance 


preceding ■ 


over 




for year 


year 


preceding 
year 


1917 


17,902 


681 


3.8 


1916 


17,221 


293 


1.7 


1915 


16,928 


902 


5.3 


1914 


16,026 


938 


5.9 


1913 


15,088 






1917 


1,940 


574 


29.6 


1916 


1,366 


—1 


—0.1 


1915 


1,367 


44 


3.2 


1914 


1,323 


145 


11.5 


1913 


1,178 






1917 


3,382 


103 


3.1 


1916 


3,279 


4 


0.1 


1915 


3,275 


81 


2.5 


1914 


3,194 


—104 


—3.3 


1913 


3,298 






1917 


5,395 


782 


t:5 ^H^i^ 


1916 


4,613 


89 


1.9 


1915 


4,524 


83 


- 1.8 


1914 


4,441 


72 


1.6 


1915 


4,369 






1917 


3,176 


302 


9.5 


1916 


2,874 


—192 


-61 


1915 


3,066 


154 


5.0 


1914 


2,912 


14 


.5 


1913 


2,898 






1917 


2,275 


239 


10.5 


1916 


2,036 


—108 


—5.3 


1916 


2,144 


21 


1.0 


1914 


2,123 


249 


11.7 


1913 


1.874 






1917 


4,391 


69 


1.6 


1916 


4,322 


—190 


-^A 


1915 


4,512 


126 


2.8 


1914 


4,386 


—11 


—.3 


1913 


4,397 






1917 


8,050 


147 


1.8 


1916 


7,903 


159 


2.0 


1915 


7,744 


510 


6.6 


1914 


7,234 


341 


4.7 


1913 


6,893 






1917 


3,484 


240 


6.9 


1916 


3,244 


—57 


—1.8 


1915 


3,301 


113 


3A 


1914 


3,188 


-43 


—1.4 


1913 


3,231 







j2 



Compulsory School Attendance 



County 



Harford 



Howard 



Aent 



I\Iontgomery 



Prince Georsre 



Queen Anne's 



St Mary's 



Somerset 



Talbot 







Increase 


Per Cent. 




Average 


over 


of increase 


Year 


attendance 


preceding 


over 




for year 


year 


preceding 
year 


1917 


3,936 


95 


2.4 


1916 


3,841 


41 


1.1 


1915 


3,800 


41 


1.1 


1914 


3,759 


97 


2.6 


1913 


3.662 






1917 


2,497 


273 


11.4 


1916 


2,224 


222 


10.0 


1915 


2.002 


168 


8.4 


1914 


1,834 


—132 


—7.2 


1913 


1,966 






1917 


2,585 


276 


10.7 


1916 


2.309 


—95 


—4.1 


1915 


2,404 


131 


5.5 


1914 


2.273 


—26 


—1.1 


1913 


2,299 






1917 


4,326 


—195 


-4.5 


1916 


4,521 


81 


1.8 


1915 


4,440 


39 


0.9 


1914 


4,401 


195 


4.5 


1913 


4,206 






1917 


5,886 


36 


6.1 


1916 


5.525 


53 


1.0 


1915 


5,472 


389 


7.1 


1914 


5,083 


207 


4.1 


1913 


4,876 






1917 


2,463 


188 


7.6 


1916 


2.275 


—140 


—6.2 


1915 


2.415 


199 


8.3 


1914 


2.216 


58 


2.6 


1913 


2,158 






1917 


2,488 


454 


18.3 . 


1916 


2,034 


—16 


-.8 


1915 


2.050 


28 


1.4 


1914 


2.022 


—25 


—1.2 


1913 


2,047 






1917 


4,211 


455 


10.8 


1916 


3,756 


168 


4.5 


1915 


3,588 


245 


6.9 


1914 


3,343 


—99 


—3.0 


1913 


3,442 






1917 


3,094 


248 


8.0 


1916 


2.846 


—41 


—1.4 


1915 


2,887 


50 


1.7 


1914 


2,837 


—18 


—.6 


1913 


2,855 







Marylantd Public Schools 



13 



County 



Washington 
Wicomico . 
Worcester . 



Total Counties 







Increase 


Per Cent. 




Average 


over 


of increase 


Year 


attendance 


preceding 


over 




for year 


year 


preceding 
year 


1917 


8,471 


887 


10.5 


1916 


7,584 


51 


0.7 


1915 


7,533 


432 


5.7 


1914 


7,101 


225 


3.3 


1913 


6,876 






1917 


4,803 


285 


5.9 


1916 


4,518 


—16 


—.4 


1915 


4,534 


493 


10.9 


1914 


4.041 


—328 


—8.1 


1913 


4,369 






1917 


4,073 


498 


10.2 


1916 


3,575 


216 


6.1 


1915 


3,359 


416 


12.4 


1914 


2,943 


—243 


—8.3 


1913 


3,186 


8,240 




1917 


114,302 


7.2 


1916 


106,062 


905 


.9 


1915 


105,157 


5,114 


4.9 


1914 
1913 


100,043 
97,853 


2,190 


2.2 



The increase in the average daily attendance in the public schooLs 
of the counties for the past year was 8,240 ; the sum of the increases 
for the three preceding years was 8,209, the average annual increase 
for these years being 2,736. Since the term for colored schools was 
lengthened last year in most of the counties and also since the de- 
mands for child labor were more acute, owing to the industrial 
conditions produced by the war, it is safe to assume that the increase 
in average daily attendance for last year would not have been larger 
than the customary increase of 2,736, had the compulsory school 
attendance law not been enforced. The difference between 8,240 and 
2,736, or 5,504, fairly represents the effect of the school attendance 
law on the average daily attendance. The law brought many more 
children into scliool; but the increase in children present each day 
throughout the year amounted to an average of 8,240. 

During 1915-16, the year before the attendance law went into effect, 
the total expenses for all public school purposes in the counties were 
$3,209,101.56. The average daily attendance for the same year was 
106,062 ; thus the cost of public education was $30 per child in average 
attendance. At this rate, which is less than many states spend, the 
education given the extra 5,504 pupils held in attendance throughout 



14 Compulsory School Attendance 

the year, was worth $165,120. Of course school expenditures have 
not been reduced this amount, as practically the same sum would 
have spent for education in the counties if the school attendance law 
had not been in operation ; but the persistent presence of more 
children receiving the instruction given amounted to a saving of 
$165,120 worth of school training, which otherwise would have been 
lost. The salaries, traveling expenses of attendance officers, and 
other costs of enforcing the law did not exceed $18,000; thus $18,000 
additional invested in law enforcement secures $165,120 worth more of 
school training. Each $3.25 spent on enforcing the law kept an aver- 
age of one more child in attendance. 

In June the State Superintendent prepared a questionnaire, 
addressed to the county superintendents, asking for an account of the 
year's work of the attendance officers. 

To the County Supcriiiteudciit : 

Will you kindly have your Attendance Officer make out a report of his year's 
work along the lines indicated below, and, after necessary corrections, adding to 
it such comment as you think advisable, forward it to me? 

I wish to discuss the School Attendance Law at some length in my next 
annual report, including a description of what has been done in the different 
counties. I think this question is important enough for you to ask your Attend- 
ance Officer to put at least two full days upon this report. 

COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE REPORT. 

1. What is the approximate number of children of each age, beginning with 
ten years, who were brought into school this year for the first time? 

2. How many children in the county of each age, beginning with twelve 
years, have made one hundred days attendance? How many of each age, begin- 
ning with twelve, were enrolled but made less than one hundred days? 

3. Give the number of arrests, the number brought to trial, the number of 
convictions, the approximate total of fines and costs, and the approximate total 
of fines and costs suspended. 

4. What has been done along the line of relief, so that children out of 
school on account of poverty, poor health, or unsanitary conditions at home have 
been brought back into school? 

5. What methods have been used to educate parents to the need of regular 
school attendance? 

6. What is the chief difficulty which you have met in your work this year? 

7. Please make a full statement of any special feature of your work which 
you think will assist me in understanding more clearly what you have accom- 
plished. 

8. How may the present School Attendance Law be atnended to make it 
better serve the cause of education in your county? 

9. About how many full days have you been in the field doing attendance 
work? 

10. .About how many full days of office work? 

11. Can you make an estimate of the numlier of visits to families, and the 
number of persons interviewed, on accoimt of absent children? 

Very truly yours, 

M. BATES STEPHENS, 

State Superintendent. 



Maryland Public Schools 15 

THE REPLIE!s. 

Questions 1 and 2 had not been expected and in many cases the 
information was not available. The days' attendance of each child 
is indicated on the quarterly reports of the school principals to the 
county superintendent's office, but the attendance officers had no 
way of excluding duplicate enrollments. A child enrolled in two 
or more different schools might be counted as two or more children, 
attending less than 100 days instead of one child attending- 100 days. 
The report of Talbot County calls attention to this difficulty. Re- 
plies to these questions are printed, but the figures are not reliable 
and no attempt has been made to analyze them. 

The table following summarizes the replies to question 3. Out- 
side of Allegany, Baltimore, and Carroll Counties, few arrests were 
made. These three counties made a total of 216 arrests, and all 
other counties made a total of only 52. No arrests were made in 
Anne Arundel, Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Prince George, Queen Anne 
or St. Mary's Counties. In many cases the offender complied with 
the law by sending the child to school as soon as arrested and the 
prosecution was dropped. Of the 160 cases brought to trial, 148 
were convicted- First offenders were usually paroled, with the fines 
and costs suspended, pending the return of the children to school 
and their regular attendance. 

In most counties local organizations supplied the needs of the few 
families who could not send their children to school regularly with- 
out some form of relief. The methods employed to educate parents 
to the needs of regular attendance included the distribution of printed 
notices, the use of local newspapers, discussions in school improve- 
ment associations, and personal visits to the homes of absent children. 
A novel experiment is reported from Baltimore County, where the 
parents of children continually absent without lawful excuse were 
called to meetings in the larger schools to discuss the provisions of 
the law and the value of regular school attendance. Such meetings 
were held in six of the larger schools. For each meeting notices 
were sent to about thirty-five parents giving them their choice of 
either attending the meeting or appearing at a later date before a 
magistrate. About 95% of the parents notified attended the meet- 
ings, and the results are reported as quite satisfactory. 

The chief difficulty encountered in most counties was a general 
apathy on the part of parents of absent children, and a lack of the 
proper appreciation by such parents of the benefits of school train- 
ing. The keen demand for child labor brought about by the in- 



16 



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Maryland Public Schools 17 

diistrial conditions produced by the war was also felt in all counties. 

Several counties reported some interesting special feature in reply 
to question No. 7, but very few suggestions were received for amend- 
ing the law, in response to question No. 8. The replies to questions 
Nos. 9, 10, and 11 are summarized in the foregoing table. 

It would seem that the variation in the distribution of the attendance 
officer's time between office and field work is hardly justifiable. 
In some counties the attendance officer should have spent more 
days in the field and visited more homes of absent children. Tht^ 
attendance officers who got into more homes and studied more cases 
at first hand developed more school sentiment and usually secured 
better results in enforcing the law. It is probable that inadequate 
means of travel, and in some counties poor roads, tended to limit 
the amount of traveling. 

The replies are of so much interest that most of them are printed 
in full. Each county being left during the year to meet its attend- 
ance problems largely in its own way, the reports show considerable 
variation in the methods used, as well as in the results obtained. 
The reader will be interested in comparing the following accounts 
by counties with the statistical tables of school attendance : 

ALLEGANY COUNTY. 

lOyrs. 11 yrs. 12 yrs. 13 yrs. 14yrs. IS yrs. 16yrs I7yrs. 

1. 48 19 10 1 1 1 

12 yrs. 13 yrs. 14 yrs. 15 yrs. 16 yrs. 17 yrs. 

2. Attending 100 da3s 897 862 734 370 202 92 

Less than 100 days 128 116 145 87 Zl 15 

The great majority of the pupils enumerated above who have not attended 
the full 100 days were boys in the rural schools, who stopped to work on their 
farms. Just about that time the papers began to surmise that the Legislature 
would possibly permit boys to work on the farms, so I found it very difficult to 
compel them to attend without using the drastic features of the law, and did not 
feel this action was advisable at that time. 

3. We had about SO pupils and their parents brought before the Juvenile 
Court, and the magistrates of the county, who, after interpreting the law, 
allowed them to go on a promise that they would attend school regularly. This 
was done without any cost to the parents or the county, and in most cases was 
very effective. 

4. We have done some special relief work, such as arranging through the 
local Charity Boards and individuals for funds to secure clothing and shoes. 
We also succeeded in getting friends to assist us in furnishing clothing and 
shoes for a few children whose parents could not afford to buy them, these 
cases occurring in places that had no local Charity Boards. 

5. I have done considerable work among the patrons of the schools, have 
attended a number of public meetings, and have visited a great many lodges, in 



18 Compulsory School AttexNdance 

every instance urging upon parents the necessity of complying with the law. 

6. The chief difficulty I find is the indifference of the parents and guardians 
about the education of their children. 

7. Whatever success I have had has been due, in my judgment, to the fact 
that I have been able to make the boys who have been violating the law feel 
that I was their friend. I thereby gained their confidence, and at the same time 
avoided the attitude of an officer of the law who wanted to make trouble for 
them. 

I have, moreover, kept in touch with the boys who were truants, following 
them up every week. We have had the most persistent cases send us a report 
from the teacher every Friday, showing how many days they were at school 
that week; these reports were brought to the office, or mailed to me, or taken 
either to the Juvenile Court Judge or to the magistrate. In this way I have 
been able to see or hear from the boys every week. 

8. I would suggest the following amendment to Section 162, page 78, of 
the School Law. The law now reads as follows : 

Any person who has a child under his control and who fails to comply 
with any of the provisions of this section, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, 
and shall be fined not exceeding five dollars for each offense. 

I would add, "Or, upon failure to pay the fine, davs in the County 

Jail." 

9. I have been in the field almost constantly from September 18th to June 1st. 

10. I have not worked in the office more than one full day in each week. 

11. I have made 643 school visits, have visited 867 homes, and have talked 
personally to at least 1,000 individuals about their children's attendance at school. 

In addition to this, I have sent out and delivered in person a copy of the 
attendance law to every patron of the schools, both public and parochial, and 
have sent through the mails to parents and guardians 2,618 personal or circular 
letters. 

THOS. H. MORGAN, 
Attendance Officer, Allegany County. 

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY. 

L This would be rather hard to answer at all accurately, as I did not 
receive my appointment until November 8th. The compulsory law had just 
gone into effect; and as the newspapers were full of what was going to be 
done, it is almost impossible to estimate the number of children that this law 
forced into the schools. 

2. No data. 

3. There were no arrests made in this county, as we thought it best not 
to antagonize unless the case was an extreme one. I found very little trouble 
with the parents or guardians when they were approached in the proper manner 
and the law explained to them. 

4. I have kept in touch with the District Nurse when the case was close 
enough to her. In the more rural districts I have gone to the different women's 
organizations throughout the county ; and while these cases have been few, we 
have never failed to get the child or children back into school. 

5. There have been organized teachers and patrons' clubs wherever it was 
practical. 



) Maryland Public Schools 19 

6. Ignorance of the parent or guardian. 

7. The parochial and private schools in Annapolis give me quite a lot of 
trouble in that, when I pick up a child on the street he or she will invariably 
say, "I go to such and such a school, and my teacher is sick or away." There 
have been so many cases of this kind that I could spend my entire time in 
Annapolis and be kept busy. In the rural districts I have very little trouble; 
but where the smaller children have a distance of over a mile to go over such 
bad roads as we had last winter it v^ras impossible to keep a good attendance. 
This last winter the lower end of Anne Arundel County was swept with 
measles, and, indeed, a large part of the upper end. Since January 1st I have 
traveled in my machine on school business alone 3,780 miles. Have paid 74 
visits to white schools and 22 to colored schools. 

8. If all the counties of Southern Maryland have as large a negro popu- 
lation as Anne Arundel, I would advise an officer for each race, as one person 
can hardly attend to both properly. The negroes are almost impossible, as you 
may put them in school one day and they are out the next. 

9. Seventy-eight full days spent in the field. 

10. Thirty-eight full days in the office. 

11. Thirty-one visits to white families and eighteen to colored families. 

BENJ. WATKINS, JR. 
Attendance Officer, Anne Arundel County. 

BALTIMORE COUNTY. 

1. Since compulsory school attendance has been in effect for several years* 
in Baltimore County, there are very few children who have not been placed in 
schodil. Only ten children were found this year who had never entered any 
school. 

2. It is impossible for me to answer No. 2 with any degree of accuracy, 
owing to the fact that we did not have the teachers make the usual quarterly 
reports. 

3. The number of arrests for the year was 122; the number brought to 
trial, 108; and but 14 failed to appear when summoned, for various reasons. 
All cases were found guilty. 

Seventy-five dollars was the total amount of fines, and the approximate 
number of fines suspended was 15. This does not include the amount of fines 
which I understand were supended in the case against the Gathmann Company, 
which was convicted for unlawfully employing about SO girls under 18 years 
of age, 20 of whom were under 16 years of age. These cases have not been 
included in the number of arrests for the year. 

4. It has been our policy to relieve cases of poverty as quickly as time 
would permit. It was not possible to visit all cases reported ; however, I should 
say that at least SO families were visited by Miss Lucas, Agent for the Children's 
Aid Society, and myself, and relief given in each case. Many other cases were 
referred to the Children's Aid Society and also to the Federated Charities, 
whose reports I do. not have in writing. A number of children were taken to 
hospitals for examination and treatment. Many homes have been made more 



*Elsewhere in this pamphlet is an extended account of the five years of compulsory 
school attendance in Baltimore County. 



20 Co.MPi'LsoKV School Attendance 

sanitary by the co-operation of the Juvenile Court Agent, Miss Johnson, and 
iMiss Lucas, of the Children's Aid Society. 

5. The work has been largely one of education. Every opportunity to 
have personal interviews with parents or their friends has been made use of. 
Public meetings have been held in the school buildings ; addresses have been 
made to Patrons' Clubs on the subject, and personal visits were made to homes. 

6. One of the chief difficulties in the enforcement of the law is the lack 
of a provision by which the attendance officer might have children examined 
where there is doubt as to the truth of the statement of the parent in reference 
to the health of the child. Poor health was given more frequently than any 
other excuse for keeping a child out of school ; and this excuse has a strong 
effect upon magistrates in prosecutions. 

7. There are two special features of work in addition to answer No. 5, 
v/hich, it seems to me, are worth while : 

First. The fact that we are scattered over such a wide territory makes 
visiting rather difficult. As an experiment, I tried in six of our largest schools 
the holding of meetings of delinquent parents, teachers and attendance officers, 
sending out from 30 to 35 notices to parents of each school, giving them their 
choice of either attending these meetings or appearing at a later date before a 
magistrate. About 95 per cent, of the parents attended the meetings, and the 
results were rather satisfactory. 

Second. Perhaps the second piece of educational work in importance, to 
my mind, was settling disputes arising between teachers and parents, because 
f-f grievances, either real or imaginary. Not a single case has ever been brought 
before the County Board of Education for adjustment, but practically all have 
been settled to the satisfaction of the parents and teacher. 

8. No suggestion. 

9 and 10. These questions cannot be answered separately by me. Approxi- 
mately one-half to two-thirds of my time last year was given to this work. I 
spent a part of the day in the office — the rest of the day, generally until late in 
the evening, I spent in the field. 

Miss Ruth Jones was appointed Assistant Attendance Officer last September 
and assigned to the work at Highlandtown. Miss Jones reports 400 recorded 
cases, 1200 visits, and about 167 letters. She also accomplished a great deal in 
this comunity in the way of social work. 

I personally held, approximately, 1100 interviews, made over 900 visits to 
parents — not including my numerous visits to the schools — and sent out about 
800 letters. 

J. T. HERSHNER, 
Chief Attendance Officer, Baltimore County. 

CALVERT COUNTY. 

1. Owing to inadequate reports of teachers, I cannot answer Questions 1 
and 2 until after I see their school registers. 

3. No arrests were made. 

4. We have had no such cases. 

5. Copy of attendance law was given each parent and personal interviews 
with parents were held. 



Maryland Public Schools 21 

6. Unwillingness to comply with the attendance law. 

7. Have visited the schools and homes of many of the parents, and secured 
the co-operation of most of them. 

8. No suggestions. 

9. Forty full days in the field. 

10. Work did not require any full day in the office ; was in the office part 
of a great many days. 

11. Thirty visits to families during the year. 

W. H. TALBOTT, 
Attendance Officer, Calvert County. 

CAROLINE COUNTY. 

1. Impossible to answer, as the teachers have the data. In most cases the 
children came in through the teacher's message, without a visit from the Attend- 
ance Officer. 

WHITE. 

12 yrs. 13yrs. 14yrs. 15 yrs. 16yrs. 17 yrs. 

2. Attending 100 days 225 233 190 113 72 43 

Less than 100 days 96 88 72 61 44 6 

COLORED. 

Attending 100 days 67 45 48 22 12 6 

Less than 100 days 49 48 42 29 18 3 

3. No arrests. 

4. In many homes where children were out on account of poverty, clothes 
have been furnished. Children's eyes have been examined and glasses provided. 

5. Regular school attendance has been discussed at many of our Patrons' 
meetings. In every case where homes were visited, the Attendance Officer made 
a point of explaining the law and the necessity of regular atendance. In most 
cases it was favorably received after being understood. 

6. My chief difficulty this year has been our bad roads, in cases where 
children live some distance from school (as in many cases they do). Another 
difficulty has been the unusual amount of sickness and poverty. 

7. In my work this year, as you will see above, I have made no arrests. 1 
may have been too lenient, but I have felt that the people must be educated 
up to the law and I have tried to make them want to send their children rather 
than force them to do so. Another year it may be necessary to make arrests, 
as in some cases that is the only way. These, however, are few, and in the 
great majority of cases I have found that after talking with the parents they 
want their children to have the advantage of our schools, but that circumstances 
have prevented regular attendance. These circumstances have generally been 
sickness or poverty. 

8. I would not suggest at present any amendment to the School Law. 

9. I have been about 148 days doing attendance work, in conjunction with 
social work. 

10. Have spent about 55 days in the office. 

11. About 400 visits to families and 150 persons in terviewed in the office. 

HELEN B. WISONG-, 
Attendance Officer, Caroline County. 



22 Compulsory School Attendance, 





CARROLL 


COUNTY. 


1. 

2 


I do not know of any. 

Attending 100 days 

Less than 100 days 


12yrs. 
.. 590 
.. 7 


13yrs. 14yrs. 

416 360 

30 75 



15yrs. 16yrs. 17yrs. 
301 156 120 

103 130 70 

3. Number of arrests, 44 ; number brought to trial, 3 ; number of convic- 
tions, 1; approximate total of fines and costs, $81.60; approximate total fines and 
costs suspended, $25.50. 

4. Their wants were supplied by the County Board of Education. 

5. Organizing Parent Teachers' Associations. 

6. Opposition to the present School Attendance Law. 
7 

8. By reducing the age limit of the present law. 

9. Number of full days in the field, 90. 

10. Number of days spent in oflfce, 50. 

11. Number of visits to families, aiiout 150: number of persons interviewed 
on acount of absent children, 200. 

A. J. BEMILLER, 
I Attendance Officer, Carroll County. 

I wish to add a statement to the foregoing report. I believe that Carroll 
County offers some radically different social, as well as educational, problems 
from those of almost anyi other county in the State. We have a rich, com- 
fortable, self-satisfied population of agricultural people. They made their money 
off their farms on which they are now living, or they have moved to town and 
placed their children on the farms. They managed to secure this without much 
education, and they do not see the necessity for very much education. In view 
of their attitude and their economic progress and satisfaction, they resent any 
interference from educational authorities. We have no large towns perme- 
ated with an industrial or cultured class of people whose influence offsets the 
aforementioned attitude toward public affairs. 

I believe that our people largely are convinced that an elementary educa- 
tion is a great necessity and a great benefit, but they fail to appreciate that 
constant attendance at school is what brings results. We have a very large 
proportion of children, especially country children, who are behind their grade. 
You know the result of such a situation. The time comes when these children 
are ashamed to go to school or become large enough to help on the farm, and, 
in consequence, they are detained from school more and more. 

Now the new compulsory law, in my judgment, was very badly outlined 
in view of this circumstance, for its application in a very thorough manner 
would require these over-age children to go to school until they are seventeen 
years old. Many of them are only in the third and fourth grades, and of course 
resent the whole matter seriously. In my judgment, it would have been much 
better if the law had been a graduated law — say for the past year all children 
up to the age of thirteen would have to attend school, and next year all children 
up to the age of fourteen would have to attend school, and the following year 
all those up to fifteen, and the next year those up to sixteen. I am inclined 
to think that more option should be given to children in the sixteenth year in 
some form or other. 

In reference to the enclosed report, I believe that we have executed the 



Maryland Public Schools 23 

attendance features of the law in a conservative manner. A radical application 
would have caused a great deal of difficulty. I do not believe that there will 
be very much opposition to the application of the law next fall, as quite a good 
many of those over-age and under-grade pupils will have gotten out from the 
meshes of the law, which will certainly relieve the tension. 

MARTIN S. H. UNGER, 
County Superintendent, Carroll County. 

CECIL COUNTY. 

1. Practically all the children in this county, ten years of age and over, have 
attended school at some time. The great trouble here has been in irregular 
attendance and withdrawal from school at an early age. I know of but six above 
ten years of age who were brought into school this year for the first time. 

Two 12 years ; one 14 years ; three 16 years. 

12yrs. 13yrs. 14yrs. 15 yrs. 16yrs. 17yrs. 

2. Attending 100 days 264 276 138 48 32 48 

Less than 100 days 130 203 118 50 65 32 

3. No arrests were made. 

4. About 400 garments, including shoes and rubbers, have been distributed 
throughout the county by the three branches of the Needlework Guild of America. 
These societies have responded liberally in every case of poverty reported to me. 
The Board of Health has also been helpful in the unsanitary cases. I have had no 
cases of poor health among the very poor children. 

5. In cases where children were irregular in attendance, I visited the parents 
and talked with them, and in nearly every case found them reasonable in their 
views, and apparently anxious to have their children educated. 

6. Poverty is the chief difficulty which I have met this year; the scarcity 
of labor has also made it necessary to keep children out of school to help at home. 
The long distance that a great many of the country children have to walk in order 
to attend school is an important factor in the irregular attendance in this county. 

7. My work this year has consisted of visiting the parents, talking with them, 
and trying to get them to see the necessity of having their children educated. A 
great many people who had felt the law to be unjust before talking to me, could 
see the good to be accomplished after having the law explained to them. With 
the foundation that has been laid this year, I see no reason why the attendance 
should not keep on increasing each year. 

8. I think the age limit of seventeen years is a little high. A child who has 
attended school regularly up to thirteen years of age, and then attends 100 days 
for two more years, and has not completed the seventh grade, will, in all proba- 
bility, never complete it. It seems to me that a child of this kind would be better 
to have regular employment. 

9. About seventy-six full days in the field. 

10. All the remainder of the school year, inchtding Saturdays, and two 
weeks after school closed were spent in the office. 

11. About 400 visits to parents and guardians. I have also interviewed a 
great many people at the office and by telephone, and have written many letters 
in explanation of different points of the law. 

LIDIE D. REYNOLDS, 
Attendance Officer, Cecil County. 



24 Compulsory School Attendance 

CHARLES COUNTY. 

While it has been a pleasure to be associated with this work, the results 
obtained are far from what we would have them, owing to various reasons which 
we hope to show below ; yet I am not willing to concede that our efforts have not 
given birth to something worthy of consideration. 

I think you will agree with me that it is hardly in the nature of things for 
the reports of the first year to give a true idea of the good accomplished. 

Much of the data submitted is taken from records of my field book, as it 
occurred from day to day. I trust it will at least be sufficient to give an idea as 
to conditions as they materialized during the first year. 

While we do feel that something has been accomplished, it is quite clear that 
much time and energy must be expended before we, as school officials, have suc- 
ceeded in educating the people of our county up to seeing the law as a means to 
better social conditions and as something really worth while. 

I have spent much time in appeanng to our people throughout the county to 
endeavor to understand the importance, intent, and true purpose of the law, and 
while we have met, here and there, slight opposition, I think it is possible to 
crystallize public sentiment in its favor and accomplish more another year. 

We have consistently appealed to the pupils in the various schools and the 
patrons out of the school to make every effort to live up to the law as far as 
possible. 

I have interviewed ministers of the Gospel of all denominations, and numbers 
of our representative people not directly connected with our schools, soliciting 
their active and moral support, feeling that in the initial step, it was not expedient 
to enforce the law to such an extent as to make it reactionary. Our teachers, 
with very few exceptions, have given us full co-operation. It is very evident that 
they have long since realized that poor attendance upon school, owing in many 
cases to indifferent parents, has been a potent factor in warping their work. 

The use of printed attendance cards has helped, in a measure, to stimulate 
conditions. 

In a limited way, we have secured assistance for a few children out of school 
on account of poverty. In three families only, have we found absolute need for 
financial aid. Clothing and lunch were furnished these by benevolent school 
patrons. 

Number days active field work 108 

Number days active office work 42 

Attendance upon Teachers' Meetings 8 

Number visits to indifferent parents 65 

Number visits to representative people in behalf of school conditions 20 

Number arrests made ■ • 1 

(This pupil was paroled.) 
Approximate number of children over ten years brought into school this 

year for the first time : 

(White) 50 

(Colored) 75 

12 yrs. 13 yrs. 14 yrs. 15 yrs. 16 yrs. 17yrs. 

Attending 100 days 140 120 96 55 17 6 

Less than 100 days 9 8 8 12 2 2 



Maryland Public Schools 25 

WHITE. 

Total enrollment for year 1914-15 1766 

Total enrollment for year 1915-16 1843 

Total enrollment for year 1916-17 2011 

COLORED. 

Total enrollment for year 1914-15 1824 

Total enrollment for year 1915-16 1867 

Total enrollment for year 916-17 1897 

As to Average Attendance : 

WHITE. 

Average attendance for 1914-15 1142 

Average attendance for 1915-16 1113 

Average attendance for 1916-17 1368 

COLORED. 

Average attendance for 1914-15 956 

Average attendance for 1915-16 923 

Average attendance for 1916-17 1073 

Relative to the chief difficulty which we have met in our efforts to make the 
law a success much might be said. Many of our patrons reside in districts where 
the public highways during the winter school term are well-nigh impassable; 
especially was this true during the past winter. This, perhaps, militated against 
the success of the law as did no other single factor. As previously stated, we 
are looking for better results another year. 

As to an amendment to the law, it does not appear at present under our 
local conditions that an amendment would improve conditions. I cannot agree 
with the minority who argue that the law interferes with labor conditions. Where 
is the father or mother of a boy who has reached his thirteenth year, who is not 
willing to school him one hundred days, especially when we do not ask him to 
begin until the first of November? 

W. B. BILLINGSLEY, 
Attendance Officer, Charles County. 

DORCHESTER COUNTY. 

1. I do not know of any. Under threat of arrest, several children of eight 
years were vaccinated and sent to school for the first time. 

12yrs. 13 yrs. 14yrs. 15 yrs. 16yrs. 17yrs. 

2. Attending 100 days 367 344 223 178 128 68 

Less than 100 days 70 94 112 116 68 66 

3. The only arrests made by me were brought before Police Justice James, 
Cambridge. 

One incorrigible truant was committed to the Maryland School for Boys. 
This boy was absolutely beyond the control of his parents, and had been arrested 
several times before for petty thefts. He would run away from home, stay out 
at night, and had caused them a great deal of trouble. Every social agency in 
town had tried to do something for this child without result ; so it seemed best 
t(; send him to a reform school. 

The next arrest was the case of a deaf boy. His mother had been told by 
the physician that if his tonsils and adenoids were removed the deafness might 



26 Compulsory School Attendance 

be cured. I had her take him twice to the hospital here for treatment, but she 
would not allow the visiting specialist to operate. After waiting several months, 
I had her arrested and compelled her to take the boy to Baltimore for treatment. 
I had a social worker from the Maryland Children's Aid meet them and take them 
to a dispensary where the operation was performed. I had the papers made out 
to send the boy to the School for Deaf, but the doctor told her that the boy 
rr.ight be sufficiently improved by autumn to attend the public school, so he was 
brought home. His health is somewhat improved, but the hearing no better. I 
would like to send this boy to Frederick, but am sure he is tubercular, and that 
may keep him out. I will be advised by Mr. Forrester. 

In the spring I had a woman come before Justice James. Her son was kept 
out of school most of the winter under various pretexts. Arrangements were 
made to send him to the Junior Republic, but in view of the scarcity of labor in 
the county I decided to try him on a farm here, with the understanding that he 
was to be allowed to make 100 days at school next winter. He is now working, 
but if he does not go to school in the fall, we shall do something with him. 

4. Co-operating with the District Nurse Association and Associated Chari- 
ties, I am sure that over fifty children were given shoes and clothes, thus helping 
them to make better attendance. Conditions here were very bad last winter on 
account of the river being closed by ice and the oyster business shut down for 
many weeks. People were thrown out of work, and many families were helped 
who had never before called on the charity organizations. I was not able to do 
anything along this line for children in the country, though T found many cases 
just as needy. 

One tubercular mother was sent to the hospital, and the girl who was staying 
home to wait on her was gotten back to school. 

5. Parents were visited in their homes, and I made public addresses at 
School Improvement Associations at Cambridge, Eldorado, Madison and the 
Women's Club of Cambridge. 

6. The employment of child labor, legally and illegally. 

7. The first week in September, I visited and talked in every school in Cam- 
bridge, took names of pupils who had made a poor record last year and had not 
yet enrolled. These were visited at once and gotten in school. I spent a great 
deal of time in East Cambridge, where either parents or children were working 
in the canning-houses. I soon began getting returns from country schools — lists 
of children who had not enrolled. Letters were written to all parents of children 
under 13 years of age, with copies of the law enclosed, explaining that older chil- 
dren working on farms or in canning-houses on vacation permits, could remain 
at work until November 1st when they must enter school. Almost daily visits 
were made to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, restoring permits to older boys 
who had been wrongfully deprived of them before November 1st. Many of these 
boys had been working a year or more, and had no intention of returning to 
school. Later the State Superintendent of Schools made a ruling that these 
pupils could not be forced back to school ; but in the meantime our Board had 
provided them w^ith a night school which has filled a great need. 

A few children of widowed mothers and other cases of extreme poverty 
were allowed to go to work and attend the night school. 

No permits have been given to children in Cambridge unless signed by me, 



Maryland Public Schools 27 

stating that the child has fulfilled the requirements of the school law. We accepted 
the night school as the requirement in many cases. 

Schools in town were constantly visited to see that pupils visited had reported 
at school. The same pupils were always more or less delinquent, showing trouble 
and lack of co-operation in the home. 

Of course the follow-up work in the country schools could not be so closely, 
looked after. I hope to work out a better plan of co-operation with the teachers 
for next year. The monthly reports do not seem to fill the need entirely, as they 
permit too long a time to elapse before the case is reported. Some counties have 
an "urgent case" blank which I shall use next year; and we are all working on 
various form letters which will help the work. 

8. I think the standard of grades should be the same for Baltimore City and 
the counties. If a child is required to make only 100 days after he is 13 years 
of age, he might hope to make the fifth grade before he stops altogether, but 
hardly the seventh. Of course a child who attends school regularly until he is 
13 should be somewhere near the seventh grade; but the country child can not, 
in the nature of things, attend as regularly as the city child, and very few of them 
are beyond the fourth or fifth grade at 14 years of age. I wish the law were 
more stringent in regard to the feeble-minded. 

9. I was in the country forty-three days. I visited all the schools in the 
county, both white and colored, but Elliott's Island, Holland's Island and three 
others. I visited 175 families in the country, and crab houses, fish houses, oyster 
houses, and shirt factories, looking for children working there, or to talk with 
the parents. I paid 417 visits to families in Cambridge, and my work took me to 
every industry in the town. My work in town was done entirely by walking 
(the machine was used only in the country), and Cambridge covers a good deal 

of ground. I always tried to spend some time in the afternoons in the office, 
writing letters, etc. 

10. I did not spend many full days in the office but, when in town, tried to 
divide the work between office and visiting as stated in No. 9. 

11. Answered by Nos. 9 and 10. 

M. JEANIE BRYAN, 
Attendance Officer, Dorchester County. 

FREDERICK COUNTY. 

1. By enforcing school attendance during the years ending July 31, 1915, 
and July 31, 1916, nearly all children of school age were enrolled. I know of no 
pupils over ten years of age who were brought into school the past year for the 
first time. There may have been a few colored children. For this reason, given 
above, the increase in attendance the past year over the preceding two years has 
not been great. 

2. The accompanying lists give the number of children of each age beginning 
with twelve years who made one hundred days' attendance, and also the number 
who made less than one hundred days' attendance. 

WHITE. 

12yrs. 13yrs. 14yrs. ISyrs. 16yrs. 17yrs. 

Attending 100 days 736 675 515 371 219 151 

Less than 100 days 170 172 186 154 112 43 



28 Compulsory School Attendance 

COLORED. 

Attending 100 days 59 50 32 13 8 2 

Less than 100 days 15 40 47 44 25 7 

3. Knowing that arbitrary enforcement of law does not solve any problem, 
only a few arrests were made. For two years the Annandale School had been 
closed and the children transported to Emmitsburg. Last year the patrons asked 
to have their school re-opened and refused to send their children to Emmitsburg. 
The Board ordered three of the principal offenders to be arrested ; but upon re- 
consideration, the school re-opened and the cases dropped. The fourth man 
arrested was fined five dollars and costs, but took an appeal, and the case never 
came before the court. The fifth person was fined five dollars and costs. This 
person would neither pay the fine nor take an appeal. Not wishing to see the 
man go to jail because he had a very sick child at home, the Attendance Officer 
paid the fine and took the man home to his sick child. In the case of the sixth, 
judgment was suspended upon the person's promising to comply with the Itw. 

4. Children out of school on account of poverty, poor health, or unsanitary 
conditions at home have been reported to the proper authorities. We have a 
number of charitable organizations whose members are always willing and 
ready to help those who help themselves. The Attendance Officer has been 
aided a great deal in his work by Miss Garner, the Visiting Nurse, and by Miss 
Munn, who represents the Children's Aid Society in Frederick County. Both of 
these ladies are very capable, and we find that by co-operating, the work of each 
is made more efficient. 

5. Different methods have been used to educate parents to the need of 
regular school attendance. The teachers are urged to visit the homes as often as 
possible in order that they may fully understand the conditions existing in the 
home, and the child's environment. These visits of the teacher are supplemented 
by visits from the Attendance Officer. We try to make the parents feel that we 
are their friends and that we are doing our best to assist them. Parents are 
cordially invited to attend community meetings, which, last year, were held at 
schoolhouses in different parts of the county. 

6. One difficulty which I met in my work, was to get large boys and girls 
who were much too old for their grade to enroll. These pupils are not deficient, 
but are retarded because they never had opportunities. Some of these children 
broke off their school relations a year or two ago; and to persuade them to 
return and join classes composed of children much younger than themselves is a 
trying problem. Another problem which I was not able to solve was to have 
certain farmers' boys attend school at certain times. These farmers argue the 
question, not from the view-point of cheap labor, for they would cheerfully hire 
lialp if they could, but from the point of absolute lack of labor. 

7. One special feature of my work was to require all teachers to send in 
monthly reports of all unexcused absences and to note fully the efforts they had 
made to secure more regular attendance. After securing these reports, the 
slackers would receive first aid. 

8. By persevering in a campaign of education, and by a more tactful enforce- 
ment of the law in the more flagrant cases, we believe the present Compulsory 
School Attendance Law will meet the approbation of school officials, teachers, 
patrons and pupils. 



Maryland Public Schools 29 

9. I have been doing attendance work in the field about one hundred and 
forty full days. 

10. I have done about forty full days of office work. 

11. I have no record of the number of visits to families and the number of 
persons interviewed. I visited one hundred and thirty-two schools, a number of 
them several times, and, I suppose, an average of two or three families in each 
school. 

F. D. HARSHMAN, 
Attendance Officer, Frederick County. 

GARRETT COUNTY. 

1. The approximate number of children of each age beginning with ten 
years who were in school this year for the first time was: Age ten, 15 children; 
age eleven, 12 children; age twelve, 10 children; age thirteen, 6 children; age 
fourteen, 4 children; age fifteen, 3 children; age sixteen, 2 children. Total, 52. 

12yrs. 13yrs. 14yrs. 15yrs. 16yrs. 17 yrs. 

2. Attending 100 days 276 228 172 79 41 16 

Less than 100 days 135 180 201 158 129 44 

3. Eight arrests ; eight brought to trial ; seven convictions ; one boy sent to 
Maryland School for Boys. Total of fines and costs, $32.28. No costs or finBs 
suspended. 

4. I have enlisted the help of the community where they live, and of the 
County Commissioners ; and have also tried to have their church help them, 
when they belong to church. I have helped about forty families in this way. 

5. Nothing more than that I have talked to the parents of children that 
were lax in attendance and tried to show them the value of education and the 
importance of sending their children regularly to school. 

6. The chief difficulties that I have met in my work have been bad weather, 
children having unusual distances to come to school, and some parents keeping 
their children from school to work. 

7. I really have no special feature in my work that I have followed out. 
In the fall I visited as many of the schools as possible, distributing copies of the 
Compulsory School Law to every child in the school, leaving extra copies and 
instructing the teacher to see that every child in the community of school age 
got a copy of the law and that they take it home and have their parents read it 
and make themselves thoroughly familiar with it. On my second visit to the 
school I checked up the attendance; and I tried to visit the homes and talk the 
matter over with the parents of the children that were absent or lax in attendance. 

8. The School Attendance Law as it now stands is entirely satisfactory to 
this county. 

9. Field work, about 125 full days. 

10. Office work, about 112 full days. 

11. About 77 visits to families, and about 240 persons interviewed on account 
of absent children. 

B. H. WILEY, 
Attendance Officer, Garrett County. 



80 Compulsory School Attendance 

HARFORD COUNTY. 

1. I do not know how many children of ten years or more were brought 
into our schools for the first time. Possibly forty white children and more than 
that number of colored children. I cannot classify them into age groups, because 
no records were kept either by the teachers or myself. 

12yrs. 13yrs. 14yrs. 15 yrs. 16yrs. 17yrs. 

2. Attending 100 days 419 412 324 215 119 51 

Less tran 100 days 110 113 115 88 49 18 

3. Six arrests were made. Three trials with convictions; two cases con- 
fessed guilt and were paroled. One case of truancy brought before the Juvenile 
Court. The offender is doing well under direction of the Court. Fines and 
costs collected amounted to about $20.00. Suspended costs were probably $10.00. 

4. Unsanitary conditions, poverty and sick cases have, by request, been 
handed over to the probation officer of the Juvenile Court, who has local workers 
scattered throughout the county. In cases of urgent need, these local workers are 
put to work at once and relief given. The probation officer investigates all cases 
reported to her. She has had a number of children treated for defective vision, 
deafness, adenoids, etc. This work has been done by specialists, either free, or 
for a nominal fee. I find my work fits in with that of the probation officer, and 
we are working in perfect harmony. 

5. I have attended a number of parents' meetings and talked with them as 
a body; but generally my work has been of a personal nature. I have talked 
with the individuals and pointed out the advantages of regular attendance, if 
progress is to be made. In addition to this personal work, the probation officer 
has held special meetings throughout the county at which subjects pertaining to 
child-welfare have been discussed, and I am sure the subject of Education has 
not been neglected. I hope during the coming year to do more than I did last 
year. I also attended nearly every teachers' meeting held in the county and 
discussed the Compulsory Law with the teachers. 

6. Ignorance or indifference on the part of parent or guardian. Poverty 
in a few cases. Scarcity of labor in farming communities. 

7. I have taken up a number of suspension cases during the year. In every 
case except one, I have succeeded in getting pupil and teacher into right relations. 
This part of the work appeals to me. 

8. The present School Law would be more popular and more easily enforced 
if only five grades were required, and the age limit were 15 and not 17 years. 

9. About 130 days in the field. 

10. About 75 days in the office. 

11. I think I have interviewed from 350 to 400 persons on the subject of 
non-attendance or irregular attendance at school — some of them several times. 

FRANK DAVIS, 
Attendance Officer, Harford County. 

HOWARD COUNTY. 

1. No data. 

2. No data. 

3. The number of arrests made was three; in one case a fine of five dollars 
and costs was imposed, but payment suspended if child were sent in and kept in 



Maryland Public Schools 31 

school. In the second case, the fine was suspended, but the costs of the case 
($2.60) paid. The parent in the other case agreed to send and keep child in 
school, and the case was dismissed. 

4. Through the aid of the representative of the Children's Aid Society, the 
worst cases of poverty and poor health have been cared for. In one case, parent 
was sent to Eudowood, food and clothing were furnished younger children, and 
they were kept in school. In fact, all bad cases in this district were most care- 
fully looked after by this representative, without whose aid I could not have 
accomplished the work done. 

5. I have attended the patrons' meetings of the county and explained the 
requirements of the law and in what manner these requirements were to be met. 
In my visits to the homes, I have carefully explained in the same way. Copies 
of the law were scattered broadcast among the children of the county in Septem- 
ber, and in some cases the teacher required a note written her after the law had 
been read. The purpose of this note was to satisfy us that the law had been 
read; and many of the notes brought out the parents' ideas on compulsory educa- 
tion. In the coming year I want to make sure that the parents do know the 
provisions of this law much more thoroughly, because in the cases already cited, 
there were many things of which the parents seemed ignorant. 

6. The chief difficulty I met in my work this year was the fact that the 
farmers would not send their boys in promptly on November 1st, and that 
there is no adequate way in which cases of poverty can be cared for. In mjuiy 
localities it was only by personal subscription that I could furnish clothes and 
stationery for the poor children. There were few, in some cases no societies 
connected with the church that could aid in this particular work. It is my desire 
in the coming year to establish many School Improvement Societies ; and I want 
a feature of these societies to be the caring for cases of this kind. 

7. The special feature of my work this year has been trying to make the 
people of Howard County understand that the Compulsory Education Law was 
a law passed by the State of Maryland for the improvement of education through- 
out the State, and whether they approved or disapproved it, they were expected 
to observe it just as any other law passed in the same manner; whether I have 
accomplished this or not will be evident on November 1st. 

8. If the present school attendance law were so amended that, instead of 
an age limit, we had a grade requirement, I think it would be much more satis- 
factory. Then if a child knew, by completing the eighth grade, he would be free 
to take his place in the world of workers, he would probably strain every effort 
to accomplish that work; as it is now he can just dawdle his time away until he 
reaches the age limit which sets him at liberty. I also think that sickness of 
parent is a lawful excuse for absence of child; though this is not a part of the 
law, it is one feature of the suggestions made to attendance officers to which I 
object. I also think a monthly report should be made by the attendance officer 
embodying those things on which he was expected to report at the end of the 
year. Then he would be in close touch with the teachers and in a position to 
secure information requested. 

9. Approximately, I have spent about one hundred and twenty days in the 
field doing attendance work. Had the roads of Howard County been in better 
condition and our winter a little less severe on our roads, I should probably have 
been able to do more field work than the one hundred and twenty days. This 



32 Compulsory School Attendance 

time was not spent entirely in visiting parents in regard to delinquent children, 
because on the same trip I would visit a school, do the supervision work in first 
three grades, and visit parents reported by teacher as being urgent cases needing 
attention ; and it is pretty nearly impossible to divide the time spent in the duties 
of both supervisor and attendance officer. 

10. About one hundred and ten days of office work. This office work included 
Saturdays up to July 28th, 1917. 

11. The visits made to parents, I estimate at about three hundred; but having 
no exact record, I may have under-estimated. 

The number of persons interviewed on account of absent children I cannot 
approximate, because the only record I have is reported on urgent report cards, 
and this number represents not one hundredth of the persons interviewed. This 
report includes no record whatever of the work done in negro schools, as I kept 
no record of what was done in them. 

ELIZABETH MEADE. 
Attendance Officer, Hoxvard County. 

KENT COUNTY. 

1. Ten years old or more who were brought into school this year for the 
first time: 



lyrs. 


11 yrs. 


12 yrs. 


13 yrs. 


Total, 


4 


3 


3 


2 


12 


14 yrs. 


, 15 yrs. 


16 yrs. 


17 yrs. 


Total. 


187 


106 


58 


28 


874 


143 


145 


116 


42 


706 



12 yr.'^. 13 yrs. 

2. Attending 100 days 269 226 
Less than 100 days 124 136 

3. The number of arrests is 6. The number brought to trial, 5. Approxi- 
mate total fines and costs, $8.20. Approximate total fines and costs suspended, 
$2.60. 

4. Two branches of the Needle Work Guild of America have been organized 
in the county to provide clothing for children who have not the proper clothing 
for attending school. About 300 new articles of clothing and 75 pieces of second- 
hand clothing have been given. 

Arrangements were made for two pupils to go to a hospital ; one had an 
operation on the ear, and the other had tonsils removed. 

Ice and milk were supplied to a sick boy. Some supplies were furnished a 
tubercular mother in order that she might take the necessary precautions while 
she was at home. Antiseptic tablets were supplied to four children. A physician 
was sent to a family where three children were ill. 

5. Four School Improvement Associations have been organized. We hope 
that there will be more associations organized during the fall. 

6. The chief difficulty which I met this year in my work was in keeping the 
boys in school after March 1st. This difficulty was, to a great extent, the result 
of the action of a member of our School Board who is a practicing attorney. He 
did not think that the law should be enforced on account of the present conditions 
in our country. The majority of the School Board decided that the law must be 
enforced, but provided that pupils 15 or 16 years of age, who were imperatively 
needed to work on the farm, might be excused after April 1st by a special permit 
signed by the Superintendent of Schools. Regardless of the action of the School 



Maryland Public Schools 33 

Board, the member above mentioned advised many parents to keep their children 
at home when needed. He was also one of the attorneys for the defendants in 
the two cases which were appealed to the Circuit Court. About 97 pupils, 66% 
of whom were colored, withdrew before they made the required attendance. 

With the exception of the pupils excused by a permit, we succeeded in getting 
all these pupils back except three. 

7. There are so many features in the attendance work, that it is difficult to 
decide upon a special feature. I feel, however, that the work this year has been 
largely of a social nature. 

We have tried to make it a special point to explain to parents and pupils the 
school law and its advantages. We hope that the parents who feel that they are 
obeying a law against their will, will soon reaHze the advantages of the law and 
will obey it voluntarily. 

8. The School Attendance Law would be more favorably endorsed by the 
people of Kent County if school attendance were made compulsory until a child 
is 15 years of age rather than until he is up to 17 years of age. 

9. The number of days in the field doing attendance work was 41. 

10. The number of days doing office work was 104. 

11. Number of visits to families, 129. Number of persons interviewed by 
officer, 180. Number of persons interviewed by Superintendent, 300. 

RUBY K. AHERN, 
Attendance Officer, Kent County. 

MONTGOMERY COUNTY. 

1. My records do not include the statistics asked for. Very few children 
m. Montgomery County reach ten years of age without having been in school at 
all, but more are allowed to stop going when they do not like it, and many go so 
irregularly that they learn practically nothing of the course of study. The 
parents of those reported as not enrolled were sent a printed notice, and further 
attention was given a number of cases. Almost all were enrolled, but regular 
attendance was not always secured. The following wording was used in the 
notice. 

"I am sending you on this sheet a form to return after the 
teacher has signed it, in order that I may know that I need not 
visit you. 

"Should there be what you are sure is a sufficient reason for 
the non-enrollment, you may tell me what it is, using the other 
side of this sheet, and I will investigate it. You should answer 
by return mail." 

12 yrs. 13 yrs. 

2. Attending 100 days 340 306 

Less than 100 days 250 174 

3. There have been five formal cases in the police court after arrests. 
Taken together they prove conclusively that the school attendance law will be 
enforced by whatever legal proceedings are necessary. No fines have been col- 
lected, and a sentence to jail of a parent unable to pay a fine of twenty dollars 
which had been imposed was suspended. 

There have been a good many consultations over cases between the police 
justice and the attendance officer, which have prevented trials. There would have 



4 yrs. 


15 yrs. 


16 yrs. 


17 yrs. 


266 


163 


116 


124 


187 


182 


130 


33 



34 CoMPiiLsoRV ScH(X)i, Attendance 

been many more court cases if the notice reproduced below had not been mailed 
when moral suasion had been used as long as it seemed wise. 



Rockville, Md. 



The Attendance Officer of Montgomery 
County has reported to me that you are re- 
quired by law to send 

James Roe 



to School and are not doing so. 

Uuless yon can explain this fact in a 
way that is satisfactory, you will be sum- 
moned to appear before the Police Justice at 
Rockville, Md. 

Very truly yours, 

J. ALBY HENDERSON, 

Police Justice. 



4. A few cases of poor health have been reported to the Social Service 
League nurse. A number of children have been supplied with clothes which have 
been given with an encouraging interest. The donations have included some 
money for new shoes. 

5. The school children have been asked to explain the requirements of the 
attendance law to their parents. A short summary of it was published in all the 
county papers just before the schools opened. White parents have been given 
talks at six meetings, and colored parents at nine. The appended letter has been 
sent to a great many parents, and personal letters written to a number. The visits 
to homes have been the chief means used to educate parents ; and I have never 
left a house until I felt that I had accomplished something by going, but the 
problems presented in many cases have been very complex. 



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86 Compulsory School Attendance 

OFFICE OF 

The County Board of Education 

Montgomery County 

ROCKVILLE, MD. 

Marv Magruder, 

attendance officer 



The School report shows the absence from 
school, without lawful excuse of 

John_ Doe 9 days 



Pineland School Jan. 19, 1917 report 

If there is a good reason for this, 
please 'let me know at once. Use the other 
side of this sheet for your answer. 

Yours Sincerely, 

MARY MAGRUDER 
ATTENDANCE OFFICER 



6. The chief difficulties have been an unusual number of epidemics of con- 
tagious diseases ; exceptionally inclement weather ; phenomenally bad roads ; and 
the increased cost of food, which left the poor people less for clothes and gave 
them a stronger feeling than they formerly had that they could not get on without 
help from their children. These can be summed up as a combination of cir- 
cumstances which, by increasing the amount of irregular attendance which was 
unavoidable, made discrimination between sufficient reasons and plausible excuses 
more difficult and time-consuming than could have been foreseen. 

This was counteracted in a measure by talks to the children in almost every 
school about the importance of attending every day, if possible. A certificate of 
attendance was promised those who were not absent at all, and one hundred and 
nine pupils received these. A duplicate of the most interesting one of them is 
appended. 



Maryland Public Schools 37 

7. My special aim, this year, has been to make as many people as possible 
think of the Compulsory Education Law as a right and reasonable one ; to make 
as many parents as possible willing to act in accord with its requirements, and to 
make as many children as possible desire to be regular in school attendance. 

I paid first visits to 101 schools and 72 subsequent visits where special con- 
ditions required them. I talked to children in school rooms 168 times, urging 
them to attend school every day they possibly could. I had private talks with a 
number of children with whom their teachers had had trouble. I gave a few 
talks about trees and a few about Indians to schools where mental activity needed 
to be developed, and the teachers wished such a talk in addition to the one about 
attendance. The children enjoyed. the pictures shown them very much, and more 
of this work would have served a practical purpose in securing better attendance ; 
but it was crowded out by the routine duties, except when time was available 
that could be used in no other way ; but this was seldom the case. 

I have had to contend with a strong prejudice against everything progressive 
in school work, and an intense indignation against the idea that parents have not 
an inalienable right to bring up their children in whatever way they choose; but 
only two parents have talked to me in an insulting way. 

8. I hestitate about making any criticism of the law which is, on the whole, 
admirable, without having had more than a year's experience in enforcing it. My 
strong conviction now is that there are in Montgomery County, especially among 
very poor people, both colored and white, a number of mentally backward children 
between 15 and 17 who would obtain more education from continuing at work 
than from a hundred days in school. Their unwilling presence in classes of 
younger children seems to me undesirable for many reasons. I therefore believe 
that some special attention to this particular part of the attendance law is needed. 
Although the number of those to whom it can not be applied to advantage will 
decrease after more regular attendance for younger children has been secured, I 
do not think the type can be eliminated except by better conditions during a long 
period. 

9. About 65 full days were spent in field work. 

10. About 140 full days were spent in office work. 

11. I have visited 126 homes belonging to 41 schools. 

I have talked about attendance problems to several times as many people 
outside of the home visited as in them. Some schools did not need case work 
and mj'' expense allowance was not sufficient for as much of this work as seemed 
desirable; but I did some in each of the thirteen election districts. 

I spent every Saturday in the office, and the teachers talked over many cases 
with me with which I did not come into personal contact. They wrote to me 
about others I never saw. I had private talks at the school houses with a number 
of children with whom their teachers had had trouble. When people have asked 
me questions about my work, I have tried to make -them feel the urgent need for 
more regular school attendance, instead of giving a superficial answer to questions 
prompted by curiosity. 

MARY MAGRUDER, 
Attendance Officer Montgomery County. 



2b CoMPULsoKV School Attendance 

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY. 

lOyrs. 11 yrs. 12yrs. 13yrs. 14yrs. 15 yrs. 16yrs. 

1. White 23 16 10 23 28 20 18 

Colored 14 6 9 8 10 9 3 

Total 37 22 19 31 38 29 21 

12 yrs. 13 yrs. 14 yrs. 15 yrs. 16 yrs. 17 yrs. 

2. .Attending 100 days 

(White) 466 403 320 242 99 41 

( Colored ) 130 121 87 42 14 4 

Total 596 524 407 284 113 45 

Less than 100 days 

(White) ,....39 32 40 20 12 6 

(Colored) 46 48 39 34 8 

Total 85 80 79 54 20 6 

3. No arrests, no convictions, no trials, hence no lines nor costs collected 
or suspended. 

4. Relief conditions have been brought about through co-operation with 
teachers, in some communities through the local school associations and teachers' 
;md parents associations, but generally through the Social Service Association of 
Prince George's County, which has investigated and in almost every case made 
satisfactory arrangements. 

5. First by a house-to-house canvass by the teacher in each district; then 
by notices of copy of the law mailed out same day absence was reported, and, 
where necessary, followed by personal interview with parent or guardian or 
children, he going more fully into the matter and explaining the advantages to 
be derived by conforming to the law. 

6. Chiefly the necessity of parents having to keep pupils at home to do 
laboring work owing to the scarcity of and difficulty experienced in obtaining 
hired help to do this work. 

7. We required of everj' teacher the prompt sending in of the monthly 
compulsory education attendance report blanks. We also instructed them to 
report to this ofifice during the month any urgent cases which demanded imme- 
diate action. As soon as the regular report blanks were received a notice to 
the parent or guardian of the person violating the law was mailed, which 
generally resulted in the return to school of the person reported. In addition 
to sending in the monthly reports, each teacher was furnshed printed cards to 
notify this office within five days after the sending in of their previous monthly 
report, giving the names of the children who had returned to school reported 
that month. These returning children were then checked against the report of 
that particular teacher, and all those who had not then returned were given 
special attention, which consisted of a personal interview with the teacher of 
the school to obtain a more thorough and detailed report of the circumstances 
of the case or cases: from there the Attendance Officer went direct to the home, 
or homes, and personally interviewed the parent or guardian, sometimes in 
the presence of the child reported, which resulted in the return to school of the 
child reported in every case, except where it was found that a legal excuse 
iiermitti'd snch absence. 



JNTakyland Public Schools 39 

8. We do not think there are any suggestions we could make, as the 
present law is, in our minds, sufficient for the needs and purposes intended. 

9. Approximately 129 days were spent in the field. 

10. Approximately 82 days were spent in the office. From June 15 to date 
time has been spent either in office or special outside work. 

11. One hundred and fifty white families; 28 colored families; interviewed 
about 205 white and 47 colored persons. 

EDGAR S. McCENEY, 
Attendance Officer, Prince George's County. 

QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY. 

1. The approximate number of children beginning with ten years who were 
brought into school this year for the first time is 100. Their ages range from 
ten years to sixteen years. The enrollment for the first term of school was 
increased by 285 children. 

WHITE. 

12yrs. 13yrs. 14yrs. IS yrs. 16yrs. 17 yrs. 

2. Attending 100 days 206 204 162 130 80 61 

Less than 100 days 18 24 21 23 22 9 

COLORED. 

Attending 100 days 54 46 26 14 6 

Les than 100 days 18 39 27 23 19 9 

3. No arrests were made. 

4. Relief work : A church society donated two pairs of shoes to one family. 

5. Methods used to educate parents to the need of regular school attend- 
ance. I spoke at about 200 Patrons' Meetings on Compulsory School Attend- 
ance and my work as Attendance Officer. These meetings were held in the 
various school houses. 

6. (a) My chief difficulty was among the oyster settlements, where children 
had licenses to oyster, (b) Children who had not completed the Seventh 
Grade but had been out of school for one, two and three years. 

7. Reports of all absentees were sent to the office monthly by the teachers 
and urgent cases were reported on the third day of absence by 'phone or letter. 
Truants were reported by 'phone. Letters calling attention to the law were sent 
to the parents or the homes visited ; in many cases both letter and visit were 
necessary. I visited schools every day it was possible for me to be in the field, 
even though the attendance was good. My visit to the school seemed to impress 
the children that it was very necessary for them to attend school regularly. On 
file in card form is a record of each day's work ; also a monthly report for 
each month's work. Twenty-eight permits were given to boys to assist with 
farm work the last month of school. 

8. Amendment suggested : Prevent children of school age who have not 
completed the Seventh Grade from securing an oyster license ; and a provision 
for the children who have been out of school for a year or more. 

9. Number of days in the field doing attendance work, 90. 

10. Number of days of office work, 122. 

11. Number of visits to families. 168: number of persons interviewed. 479; 
number of visits to schools, 363. LELIA A THOMAS 

Attendance Officer, Queen Anne's County. 



40 , Compulsory School Attendance 

ST. MARY'S COUNTY. 

I 1. After a careful examination of all available data I find it quite im- 
practicaSIe to estimate with any accuracy the number of children brought into 
school for the first time under the Compulsory School Attendance Law. A 
comparison of the enrollment for the year just ended with that of the preced- 
ing year, viz : the scholastic year ended July, 1916, shows practically no increase 
in the enrollment of the white schools. The colored schools show an increase 
in enrollment of 258 as compared with the preceding year. The increase in the 
average attendance over that of the preceding year is about 8.5 per cent, for 
both white and colored schools, 

2. The following table answers your second query as nearly as it is possible 
to make it : 

WHITE. 

12yrs. 13yrs. 14yrs. 15yrs. 16yrs. 17 yrs. 

Attending 100 days or more 238 132 147 61 40 

Less than 100 days 34 40 46 43 9 

COLORED. 

Attending 100 days or more 108 76 49 55 12 

Less than 100 days 105 96 101 83 48 

3. No arrests have been made during the year. Our policy has been edu- 
cative — making patrons acquainted with the provisions and spirit of the law. 

4. Only one case of poverty has come to our notice. Owing to the unwill- 
ingness of the mother in this case to have any publicity as to the condition of 
the family we were unable to do anything in the matter. Conditions in this 
family were not so bad, and, from what I could learn, only temporary. 

5. The Attendance Officer let no opportunity pass to make patrons familiar 
with the law and its operations. Every opportunity was availed of to educate 
the people of the advantages of regular school attendance and to urge an acqui- 
escence in the law, both in spirit and in letter. 

6. We have met with some criticisms of the law as infringing upon the 
prerogative of the parent. The main difficulty, however, has been the farm 
labor problem, especially during the busy farming season in the spring. It is 
the consensus of opinion that at no time has the procuring of farm labor pre- 
sented greater difficulty than during the current year. Boys, especially during 
the spring season, were kept out of school to work upon the farm — when 
parents desired to keep them in school, and under normal conditions would 
have kept them at school — because labor for farm work could not be procured 
at any price. So strong were the feelings and sympathies of the people gener- 
ally that the farmers had to have the help of their children, that we felt it would 
be unwise to take any drastic steps in the matter. 

An epidemic of measles and whooping cough, which started in late winter, 
spread over many sections of the county and materially interfered with school 
attendance. The very bad weather during the winter, and bad roads, at times 
rendering travel quite impracticable, were factors in curtailing the average 
attendance. 

7. Answered by line of work indicated in Nos. 3 and 5 of this report. 

8. I have no suggestions to oflfer. I believe the law as it stands is all right, 
and, under normal conditions, would, I am confident, be generally accepted. 



Maryland Public Schools 41 

9. I was out in field work about 125 days. 

10. During the year about 40 days in office work. 

11. I visited fifty-three families in their homes, and interviewed between 
three and four hundred persons in the interest of better school attendance. 

ZACH T. RALEY, 
Attendance Officer, St. Mary's County. 

SOMERSET COUNTY. 
As it seems to hav^ been the plan of the State Board to give the new law 
as much experimental force as possible, I have endeavored to follow out that 
plan, as my report to my local Board will indicate. Though I feel that I have 
not accomplished all that I desired, yet, in many respects, good results seem to 
have followed. In my report you will notice that those who have attended 100 
and those who have attended less than 100 days applies only to the white schools. 
The colored schools were crowded; in many cases they were overcrowded to 
such an extent that compulsory force could not be applied. 

1. The following number of white pupils, ranging from the ages of ten to 
sixteen years, respectively, were brought into school for the first time : 

lOyrs. 11 yrs. 12 yrs. 13yrs. 14yrs. ISyrs. l'6yrs. 

19 9 11 1 1 12 

12 yrs. 13 yrs. 14 yrs. 15 yrs. 16 yrs. 17 yrs. 

2. Attending 100 days 348 254 221 133 77 29 

Less than 100 days 86 60 68 58 46 12 

3. Five warrants were issued, two arrests made, one brought to trial, one 
convicted. The amount of fine in the convicted case not named, as the pay- 
ment of such was suspended until further notice of noncompliance with the 
law was made. 

4. Nothing has been done in regard to permanent relief, except in a few 
minor cases. I have asked that the law in regard to Widows' Pensions be com- 
plied with, but without result. I have solicited the help of our local Health 
Physician, with good results. Have clothed, with outside help, one family of 
nine children, whose parents were unable to furnish them, and thus secured the 
attendance of those children of school age. Three children were found homes 
where suitable clothing and food could be furnished them, as well as school 
facilities. Two little orphan boys were committed to the Orphans' Home in 
Baltimore. 

5. Various arguments, to suit diiTerent people, have been used to educate 
parents to the need of regular school attendance. I have emphasized the matter 
before teachers at their schools, at public meetings, and by visiting parents at 
their homes. I have also advocated, with some success, the organization of 
parent-teachers' clubs. 

6. The chief difficulties which I have met in work this year have been : In 
some cases, utter disregard of the law or failure to believe that the law as it 
stood would be enforced, and the indifference of parents to the fact that their 
home duties were more important than that of the public schools ; the need of 
suitable clothing for children whose parents are unable to furnish them ; the 
lack of sympathy from our local officers because of supposed defects in the law; 
and last, but not least, my chief difficulty has been to reach boys who are out 
of school from choice, because of the lack of a juvenile court in this county. 



\'2 C(KMPi'r,s()RV ScH<K»K Atthxdance 

7. To understand more clearly the work that I have accomplished, or any 
feature of it, I refer you to ray year's report made to my local Board, and sent 
you under separate cover. (Note: For lack of space this special report is 
omitted.) 

8. I prefer to make no statement in regard to the amendment of the School 
Attendance Law. Labor conditions are such in this county, especially in the 
rural districts, that if the law is rigidly enforced with boys who can render 
help on the farms, it will incense rather than make the people look favorably 
upon it, especially during the war periods. 

9. I have been in the field doing attendance work on an average of three 
hours per day. 

10. The clerical or office work was performed when my attendance work 
was completed for the day. I did some office work every day during the year 
for eight months. 

11. I have visited 184 homes, white and colored; have interviewed per- 
sonally about 400 persons ; have written 200 form letters and almost as many per- 
sonal ones. I have visited 78 white and 11 colored schools, giving in each 
department a short talk on compulsory education to the pupils. 

12. I have found one pupil was expelled during the year, 20 pupils had to 
remain home part of the time on account of extreme poverty, 47 pupils entered 
late, 6 truants, 35 moved to the city or other counties, and 48 withdrawals to 
enter school in adjoining counties. 

13. The number of piijiils receixing i)ri\atc instruction from certilicated 
teachers are as follows : 

In Princess Anne. 20: average attendance for the year. 16. 

Deals Island, 20: average attendance* for the year. 17. 

Xumber receiving home instruction, satisfactory to .Xttendancc Officer 
and Superintendent, 11. 

Number having a lonk illness, 16. 

This data shows some of the reasons why the enrollment as well as the 
average attendance was cut down during the year. 

14. Thirteen schools were closed during the year by our local Board of 
Health on account of epidemics of measles, scarlet fever and typhoid fever. 

ADDIE E. BOND, 
Attendance Officer, Somerset County. 

TALBOT COUNTY. 

1. We have no reports showing the approximate number of children of each 
age who were brought into school for the first time. In fact, we are inclined to 
feel that there were not very many of these children above the age of ten years. 

2. It is impossible for us to make an accurate statement as to the number 
of children who have made less than 100 days attendance, for the reason that we 
have failed to keep a record of transfers, and sometimes a child may have made 
a total of more than 100 days in two different schools ; but in each one of these 
schools he may have been present less than 100 days, .so that by taking his name 
from our term reports we may have counted him twice as a pupil who had made 
less than the 100 days. With this element of error, we get the following figures: 



14 yrs. 


IS 


yrs. 


16 


yrs. 


17 yrs. 


115* 




65 




67 


28 


56 




41 




a 


17 


40 




Zl 




23 


3 


22 




20 




17 


2 
.... 6 



Maryland Public Schools 43 

WHITE. 

12 yrs. 13 yrs. 

Attending 100 days 155 ISO 

Attending less than 100 days 69 55 

COLORED. 

Attending 100 days 71 45 

Attending less than 100 days 44 30 

3. Number of arrests made during the year 

Number brought to trial 6 

Number convicted 6 

In each of the above cases sentence was suspended by the Police Magistrate 
upon the promise of the parent to comply with the Attendance Law. 

Approximate total of fines suspended $30.00 

Approximate total of costs suspended 14.70 

4. In the instance where children were out of school for want of proper 
clothing, clothes were supplied through the Children's Aid Society working in 
co-operation for the enforcement of the Attendance Law. In cases where children 
were out of school because of physical inability to attend and to perform the 
work of stud}', we required a certificate from a physician. This often led to 
examination and treatment of eyes, throat, teeth and other bodily defects.. It 
also lead to the discovery of cases of tuberculosis in whole families, which were 
dealt with by the Children's Aid Society according to their needs. In every case 
where the family was unable to employ medical aid, such services was provided 
through the agency of the society mentioned. 

5. We endeavored, through repeated visits and interviews, to impress upon 
parents the importance of their children receiving an education in order that 
they might rtot only have a chance to compete with others, but also that they 
might enjoy life more fully, and to impress them with the idea that to receive 
such education, they must have their children attend regularly. We stressed this 
point of view rather than the idea that there was a law to be enforced and obeyed. 
Whenever we touched upon this feature, we tried to make the parent understand 
that the child could work ofif his school attendance to advantage while young, 
thereby permitting him to enter upon employment sooner than he might if he 
failed to attend regularly. We had no public meetings where this matter was 
discussed for it seemed to us an individual question; but the county newspapers 
were good enough to frequently puWish items and reports concerning the enforce- 
ment of the law. As a result, we feel that in Talbot County there is no opposition 
to the law that is of any great moment. In fact, practically all the fair-thinking 
people endorse it without reserve. 

6. The chief difficulties we have encountered in enforcing the law here are : 
First— Those due to extreme ignorance on the part of a few parents. 
Second— Those due to the desire of some landowners to have their children 

perform the lighter tasks of farm work rather than have them go to school. 
This difficulty is, without doubt, accentuated by the scarcity of labor, and in a 
few instances of special need, permits of absence were granted. 

Third— Those due to the feeling of long ago that children are chattels, and 
belong to the parents, and that the parents have a right to do as they please with 
them. 



44 Compulsory School Attendance 

7. The Attendance Officer visited every canning-house in the county, while 
in operation, with the result that she found a number of children under the age 
of 12 working there without labor permits. Many of these were from Baltimore 
City. 

8. The following letter kindly furnished me by M. Tilghman Johnson, 
Police Magistrate for Talbot County, before whom all the trials were heard, 
states an important feature of the law which seems to need amendment: 

July 26, 1917. 
Miss Emma L. Davies, 

Easton, Maryland. 
Dear Miss Davies : — 

I beg to suggest the following changes in the School Attendance Law : 

First. Section 162, 2nd paragraph. "Every child residing in any county of 
the State being 13 years of age, or 14 years of age, shall attend some public 
school for not less than 100 days during the period of each year that the public 
schools of the county are in session. Such attendance shall begin not later than 
November 1st in each year and must thereafter be consecutive so as to complete 
said 100 days' attendance by the first day of April following. And failure to 
attend school consecutivel}', as herein provided, shall be a misdemeanor as herein- 
after provided, unless satisfactory excuses for such failure shall be given to and 
accepted by the County Superintendent of Schools in each county. Every child 
shall attend some public school the entire period of each year, etc." 

Note. — I would suggest no change or alteration for the rest of Section 162, 
paragraph 2, and what I have suggested above I would suggest also to be inserted 
in paragraph 3, Section 162. 

Second. Paragraph 4, Section 162, providing a penalty under this law is not 
clear. I think it would be well to make a flat fine of $10.00, and to cut out the 
words "for each offence." It is difficult to know just what the words " for each 
ofl'ence" mean, and I think a flat fine of $10.00 would, if imposed in one or two 
cases, soon lead parents or guardians to respect the law and to be careful with 
references to attendance. 

Third. To Section 157, I think some penalty should be attached so as to 
punish parents or guardians who consent to or assist in truancy. I would suggest 
the following Section : "And if said School Commissioners shall believe, on the 
evidence submitted, that any child is or was truant from school with the consent 
or approval of its parent or guardian, then it shall be the duty of said Commis- 
sioners to swear out a warrant for the arrest and said parent or guardian who, on 
conviction before any Justice of the Peace or Court having competent jurisdic- 
tion, shall be fined not more than $5.00 for each offence." 

Very truly yours, 

(Signed) M. T. JOHNSON. 

9. Number of days spent in field doing attendance work, 148. 

10. Remaining days were spent in the office. 

11. Number of visits to families and persons interviewed on account of 
absent children, 293. 

EMMA L. DAVIES, 
Attendance Officer, Talbot County. 



Maryland Public Schools 45 

WASHINGTON COUNTY. 

1. Eight hundred and fifty-five children ten years of age or older were 
brought into school by the Compulsory Attendance Law. 

12yrs. 13 yrs. 14yrs. 15 yrs. 16yrs. 17yrs. 

2. Attending 100 days 172 98 74 98 30 20 

Less than 100 days 343 196 147 196 59 39 

3. Two arrests; two brought to trial; none convicted. 

4. Years of experience as a social worker in our city and county with the 
Orphans' Home, the King's Daughters, church societies and with the district 
nurse enabled me to do good work along this line. 

5. Frequent visits to the home. Persuasion and heart-to-heart talks were 
the methods most commonly used to educate parents to the need of regular school 
attendance. 

6. Indifference of parents, epidemics of chicken-pox, whooping cough, and 
measles prevailed in our county to an alarming extent ; five and six hundred 
pupils being out at times. Several schools were ordered closed on account of 
diphtheria. 

7. Co-operation of the .agent of the Child Labor Bureau. Special interest 
and work in establishing a night school for boys and girls employed in stores, 
factories, etc. 

8. I believe in the appointment of a Juvenile Court Judge and summons 
served instead of warrants; also, schools established for delinquents. 

9. One hundred and sixty full days in the field. 

10. Forty-six full days in the office. 

11. Six hundred and fortj^-seven visits to families. One thousand and ninety- 
eight persons interviewed, not including many night visits. 

JACOB A. ZIEGLER, 
Attendanct Officer, Washington County. 

WICOMICO COUNTY. 

WHITE. 

1. 10 yrs. 11 yrs. 12 yrs. 13 yrs. 14 yrs. 15 yrs. 17 yrs. 

22 9 8 5 6 1 1 

Total number in school for fi'rst time this year, 52. 

COLORED. 

10 yrs. 11 yrs. 12 yrs. 13 yrs. 14 yrs. 15 yrs. 16 yrs. 
45 27 19 23 5 4 2 

Total number in school for first time this year, 125. 
Total number white and colored, 177. 

The above figures were taken from term reports, and the children of the 
above ages were in the first grade. It is not probable that children 10 years of 
age in the first grade have formerly attended school. 

2. This question is answered as accurately as possible, and the result, how- 
ever, is only the approximate figures for white children : 

12 yrs. 13 yrs. 14 yrs. 15 yrs. 16 yrs. 17 yrs. 

Atttending 100 days 250 200 100 50 20 15 

Less than 100 days.... 15 9 4 4 5-3 



-16 Compulsory School Attknoance 

3. Two arrests were made during the year, and both times the parties were 
brought to trial. In the first case, the party was fined $5.00 and costs, making 
his bill $9.45. In the second case, the party was not fined. The law was explained 
to him clearly by the State's Attorney in the presence of the teacher and Attend- 
ance Officer, after the case was dismissed from the magistrate's office. 

4. Along the line of relief, the social worker, Mrs. Lippincott, has done 
much, both in the improving of home conditions and in meeting the temporary 
needs such as food and clothing. In some cases, if a child were suffering from 
disease she hade the child removed to a sanatorium, thus relieving the families 
so that the other children could attend school. 

5. The Community Leagues have done much toward arousing the parents' 
interest in the schools, and thereby school attendance, in many cases, has been 
aided. School socials and entertainments, and corn clubs have also aided. 

6. My chief difficulty has been the fact that parents consider compulsory 
education an encroachment upon their prerogatives. Many of them think their 
children are personal property to be treated as they (the parents) wish, regardless 
of the children's welfare. Parents usually think better of the law after it is 
explained. In some cases they are obstinate and will not listen to any argument ; 
but these cases are rare. Another difficult}^ has been that I could not get over as 
much territory as I would have liked owing to the slow conveyance of horse and 
buggy. 

7. Much has been accomplished by indirection — not that I have failed to go 
into homes, for people must feel that you are interested in them and are trying 
to help them if you want to gain their confidence; but many times a family will 
send their children to school, having heard that the attendance officer visited in 
the neighborhood, and is enforcing the law. In some cases, where a boy is not 
making good in school because of truancy or lack of parental control, wdiich is 
too often the trouble, his parents have been persuaded to give the boj* a chance 
in a different environment, or send him to a different school, like the Junior 
Republic or Loch Raven, where he will be subject to discipline. One boy has been 
sent to Rosewood and three to Loch Raven, this school year. One of the three 
was out of Loch Raven only on parole. 

8. At the present time I am not able to say how the present school attend- 
ance law may be amended to make it better serve the cause of Education. I do 
not think the standard should be lowered, either in age or required work. Cases 
have arisen during the year when it would have been advisable for the Attendance 
Law and Child Labor Law to have been interpreted the same for the age of 

.sixteen. 

9. I have been in the field doing attendance work about forty full days ; 
that is, in the county and not counting the days spent in visiting schools and homes 
right in Salisbury. In all, about ninety full days in the field. 

10. It is difficult to state the number of full days of office work done; but I 
judge about eighty-five, not counting days at Institute and meetings of attendance 
officers. 

11. My visits to homes number 116. My visits to mills and factories, 5. My 
visits to schools, 98. Total visits, 219. 

Many persons have been interviewed on account of absent children of whom 
I did not take note. E_ VAUGHAN JACOBS. 

Attendance Officer, JVtconiico County. 



Maryland Public Schools 47 

WORCESTER COUNTY. 

1. The approximate number of children of each age, beginning with ten 
years, who were brought into school this year for the first time : 

lOyrs. 11 yrs. 12yrs. 13 yrs. 14yrs. 15 yrs. 16 yrs. 17yrs. 
15 29 45 38 48 15 19 7 

2. Children in the county of each age beginning with twelve years who 
have made 100 days or more : 

12 yrs. 13 yrs. 14 yrs. 15 yrs. 16 yrs. 17 yrs. 
343 273 227 157 130 54 

Children of each age beginning with twelve who were enrolled but made 
less than 100 days: 

12 yrs. 13 yrs. 14 yrs. 15 yrs. 16 yrs. 17 yrs. 
9 49 39 42 14 24 

3. I arrested only two men — both of whom were brought to trial and fined 
$1.00 and costs. The costs in each case amounted to about $3.00. The first 
man arrested had warrants for three children against him. Only one warrant 
was executed. The other three were held over him for his good behavior, and 
it was very effective. 

Second man at first refused to pay his fine— said he did not have the 
money; but when he found that he would have to go to jail unless fine was 
paid, he produced the necessary amount. 

4. In one extreme case of poverty there were seven children — four of the 
school ages — who did not have the proper clothing. The father had been badly 
burned; thus his earning power was reduced. With the aid of friends I was 
able to clothe the children so they could attend school. The family was appreci- 
ative, and children attended school thereafter regularly except in cases of sick- 
ness and bad roads. . 

There were other cases of poverty, but when the children did not attend 
regularly it was due to long distances to walk over bad roads. 

I sent one boy, who was a waif, to the Junior Republic at Annapolis Junc- 
tion. He resented it at first, but during a two weeks' vacation which he came 
to Snow Hill to spend, he thanked me for sending him there. I beheve it will 
make a man of him. 

I had some cases where children attended regularly Init were so poorly 
clad that I appealed to the Empty Stocking Club of Snow Hill, and they re- 
sponded promptly and took care of the children. 

At one time I found three children who were deserted by their mother 
during the father's absence. (The father worked away from home, spending 
his week-ends only with his family.) It looked at first like a case for the 
Henry Watson Aid of BaUimore, but I found some relatives of the children 
who were willing to take them and send them to school regularly. 

5. At first a letter was sent out by our Superintendent, printed on front 
cover of copy of Compulsory Attendance Law. 

Talk^ to parents were arranged in all the school districts, in form of 
patrons' meetings, and an effort was made to organize parents and teachers 
clubs. These attempts met with success in some districts, but in many cases all 
parents did not see the importance of such organizations. 



48 Compulsory School Attendance 

I feel, however, that those who did attend these meetings have been aroused 
sufficiently to interest others, and it is my opinion that during the next scholastic 
year these meetings will be well attended. 

6. Lack of appreciation of an education has been a great drawback to me 
in my work. Worcester County covers a large area of farm lands, and when 
^he child's education interfered with the tilling of the soil or harvesting the 
crops, the farmer thought the education should be sacrificed. Such parents 
look upon the child only in terms of dollars and cents, not realizing that his 
earning power would be increased by education. 

The attendance was very much affected by bad roads and sickness, especially 
among the younger children. There were so many freezes and thaws during the 
past winter that the roads for nearly three months were almost impassable in 
many parts of the county. 

As to sickness, three schools were closed several weeks on account of 
scarlet fever during January, February and a part of March ; and measles almost 
broke up the primary grades of several schools. In fact, such an epidemic of 
measles was never known in Worcester County. The spread of this disease 
was due to carelessness on the part of parents. 

7. As the reports of delinquent pupils would come in from the teachers, 
every report was carefully examined and a list made of the cases requiring my 
attention. If the reason were illegal, and term of absence short — provided it 
was the first offense — I would write a letter to the parent calling his attention 
to this matter and enclose a copy of the Compulsory Attendance Law, marking 
that portion of the law bearing upon that particular case. The second offense 
was followed up by a visit, and in most cases the visit brought the desired 
results. In some cases the letter was sufficient. A copy of all letters sent out 
to parents was kept on file in the office. I found that very wise, having to refer 
to these letters in case of a dispute. 

I found some children illegally employed in factories and mills, but had no 
trouble about them. As soon as I explained the Compulsory Attendance and 
Child Labor Laws to the parents and employers the children were no longer 
employed thus and went to school. 

I visited all the schools in the county and tried to get close to the teachers 
and the children, and I found that a great help in my work. It was my aim 
and desire to win the friendship and respect of the teachers and children. The 
co-operation of the teachers greatly aided me in my work. 

As the Board of Education of Worcester County very kindly purchased a 
Ford for my use, I was able to accomplish more in the way of visiting schools 
and families than I otherwise would have done. The neighborhoods needing 
my special attention were a long distance from Snow Hill. 

8. If any change is made in this law, it seems to me that it would better 
serve the cause of education should it be left to the discretion of the Superin- 
tendent, Board of Education or Attendance Officer as to whether a child should 
be excused. 

Also in cases of boys and girls of fourteen, fifteen and sixteen years of age 
who have not been in school at all, or for two or three years, to provide a night 
school for them, authorizing the Boards of Education to appoint and pay a 
teacher in the several districts of the counties where needed to run the night 
school. Books to be supplied from the Free Book Fund. 



Maryland Public Schools 49 

9. About half of every month was spent visiting schools, factories and 
homes. On two occasions I did substitute work in schools — one day each. 

10. About half of every month was devoted to office work. 

11. Number of families visited and persons interviewed: My records show 
that I visited seventy-five families during the scholastic year 1916-1917. 

As to the number of presons interviewed, nearly every week parents would 
call to see me at the office of the County Board of Education or at my home. 
There was an average of about five parents weekly who interviewed me during 
the year. Some would want the law explained, and many of them would want 
to keep a child at home, and would come to find out whether the excuse for 
same was a legal one. 

MARY A. TOWNSEND, 
Attendance Officer, Worcester County. 



50 Co.MI•^l.s()R^■ School Attexoanxe 

FIV^E YEARS OF COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE IN 
BALTIMORE COUNTY 



By John T. Hershner 
Chitj Attendance Officer, Baltimore County. 

The first Compulsory School Attendance Law for the Counties of Alary- 
land, enacted by the General Assembly of 1912, was optional. It gave discre- 
tionary powers to the County Boards of Education in regard to the enforcement 
of the law. Four years later a mandatory law was passed by the Legislature, 
which became effective on June 1, 1916. 

The Board of Education of Baltimore County, at its meeting in October, 
1912, gave careful consideration to the evil effects of non-attendance, and espe- 
cially irregularity of pupils, upon class-room instruction. They decided to or- 
ganize the Department of School Attendance, and began work at once. 

The plan of organization consisted in the election of Assistant Superin- 
tendent John T. Hershner as Chief Attendance Ofificer, with Superintendent 
Albert S. Cook and Clarence G. Cooper, Assistant Superintendent in charge of 
Rural Schools, as assistants. It provided further that principals of schools 
having three assistants or less, and one assistant teacher in each of the larger 
schools, might act as Assistant Attendance Officers when called upon by the 
Chief or his two assistants. None of the officers was to receive additional pay 
for the performance of this duty. 

After two years' experience it seemed necessary that the Chief Attendance 
Officer should give the greater part of his time to the work. This was im- 
portant in order to avoid too much diversion of effort by the Superintendents, 
and to centralize the study of causes that lead to non-attendance. 

In September, 1916, Miss Ruth Jones was appointed an Assistant Attend- 
ance Officer, and was assigned to the special field of work comprising High- 
Ian dtown and Canton. 

The magnitude of the compulsory attendance work, and the difficulties of 
law enforcement in a county system, may be indicated by a brief review of the 
physical conditions hi Baltimore County. There are in Baltimore County 180 
public schools, scattered over 622 square miles of territory. They vary in 
size from the one-room rural school to the large city type. They enroll more 
than 23,000 pupils, and the parochial schools contain several thousand additional 
students. 

The home activities of children are also varied ; many of them live upon 
farms, while others reside in suburban communities and industrial sections. 
Many children are compelled to walk long distances to school, and ofttimes 
over bad roads. Health facilities for speedy in.spection of school children are 
lacking, and social institutions to care for the unfit are poorly organized. 

It should be plainly seen that the few attendance officers provided by 
law for the county cannot receive daily reports from principals or make daily 
visits of inspection to .schools and visit the homes of parents to learn the cau-^e 
of absence. 



Maryland Public Schools 51 

The principal is, therefore, a verj^ important factor in the successful admin- 
istration of the law. Its success or failure will depend to a very large extent 
upon the tact, courage and perseverance of the teachers. Parents, naturally-, 
resent any interference in matters of child control that have heretofore had no 
special reference to them. There is a common impression that compulsory school 
attendance has its application only to truancy. This is an erroneous belief. 
To the experienced investigator irregular attendance constitutes a more serious 
evil because of the large numbers of children involved. The function of the 
principal, then, is to work diligently toward the reduction of absenteeism, and 
to report the most troublesome cases to the attendance officer for his study 
and solution. 

The plan to have 'an assistant teacher act as an attendance officer was tried 
successfully in several of the largest schools. The teacher who seemed best 
qualified for the social work was required to visit parents occasionally for half- 
day periods, and a substitute teacher was provided for the class. This had two 
values, at least; first, the visiting teacher secured much useful information 
which helped the principal in making reports to the attendance department, 
thereby saving much valuable time to the investigator; secondly, the social 
significance was important. The teacher had learned many of the causes that 
operated unfavorably upon children, producing truancy, delinquency and crime. 
Without this information it is doubtful if the teachers could have taught this 
class of children quite so efficiently and sympathetically. 

The economic and social importance of compulsory education is wortliy of 
mention. • 

Statistical investigations show a great waste of public revenues owing to 
the non-attendance and irregularity of pupils. Necessary accommodations and 
equipment must be provided for the number of enrolled pupils, and teachers 
must be paid. When children are present one day and absent the next, the 
teachers must duplicate much of the instruction. This means great loss of time 
and effort to both pupils and teachers. A business concern could not operate 
a plant successfully on a basis of 75 per cent, of efficiency, and yet the State 
of Maryland has been running its schools with smaller returns. For the five- 
year period prior to the enactment of the compulsory law, the white public 
schools of Baltimore County averaged only 75.9 per cent, of the average enroll- 
rnent. For the five-year period of compulsion, ending June, 1917, the average 
attendance was 80.6 per cent. These modest gains show that practically 1,000 
more pupils were in school each day during the period of five years the law was 
in operation than there were during an equal number of years prior to the 
law enforcement. Figured in terms of dollars and cents on the basis of the 
per capita cost of each child, it shows approximately that $30,000 of public 
funds were wasted each year by the non-attendance of enrolled pupils. 

The social worth of education is not easy to valuate. Probably it can best 
be indicated by its effects upon methods of living. With the elimination of 
ignorance and illiteracy, progress is made along economic lines ; health and 
sanitation improve, and life in general shows a higher form of spiritualization. 
Under supervision, backed by the stimulus of the compulsory law, we have been 
pleased to observe much improvement along these lines in many homes of the 
county. The greatest value of the work, of course, lies in the training- of a 
class of bqys and girls for efficient and loyal service in a democracy, who would 



52 CfXMPULsoRY School Attendance 

otherwise remain ignorant and therefore dangerous to the best interests of 
society. While this has been our dominant thought, we have laid particular 
emphasis upon the education of the public mind, for it seemed to us that a sym- 
pathetic and enlightened public sentiment must, in the end, constitute the funda- 
mental basis for any system of compulsory education that shall be worth while. 

The methods of conducting the educational work varied somewhat accord- 
ing to the class of people to be reached. Patrons' clubs, civic associations and 
group meetings of teachers constituted media for the discussion of social and 
non-attendance problems. Private conferences and personal interviews were 
the chief means of approach in the adjustment of trouble. The logical method 
of approach in attempting to eliminate truancy and non-attendance is to educate 
the people to see the need for education and to remove the causes as far as 
possible. In the first place, the idea of compulsion seems repugnant to many 
people. That the State has any rights of co-relationship in the control of children 
is forcefully resented. One mother expressed her views rather significantly by 
saying, "I live in America and can do as I please." Her three boys had been 
kept from school during the fall and spring for work, and her excuse for their 
absence during the winter was that, "it was too cold and windy." 

"Indifference of parents" constituted the chief excuse given by principals 
for non-attendance or irregularity of attendance of pupils. The word "indiffer- 
ence" is used here in a broad sense. 

Miss Jones visited 1,000 families in Highlandtown and Canton during the 
school year ending June, 1917, and the Chief Attendance Officer visited an 
equal number in other parts of the county. Their investigations substantially 
confirm the reports made by the teachers. Experience convinces us that in- 
different parents should be handled rather vigorously, because of the social 
evils that naturally follow. 

During the five years of compulsory school attendance work 259 cases were 
presented before the magistrate courts ; 200 were paroled on promise to comply 
with the law, 18 were committed to the Juvenile Court, 2>7 were fined and 4 
were given short jail sentences for contempt of court. 

No arrests were made during the first year the law was in operation. After 
having determined the reasons for non-attendance by careful investigation, we 
proceeded to enforce the law with more rigor during each of the successive 
four years. Action was taken against 22 of the recalcitrant parents during the 
second year, S3 the third, 76 the fourth and 122 the fifth. . 

In this work the co-operation of the magistrates has been most praise- 
worthy. Of the 122 cases, 14 failed to appear for various reasons. The remain- 
ing 108 persons were found guilty. It should be said to the credit of the mag- 
istrates that more fines would have been imposed except for the recommenda- 
tion of the Attendance Officer. 

"Illness of child" has been one of the excuses most abused. Indifferent 
mothers often use this expediency to keep their children from school for service. 
Frequently the children use the device to remain at home. Many of the poor 
people do not have physicians, and ills that might soon be cured by a physician 
are allowed to drag along indefinitely. The family of Mr. A. illustrates the 
point in mind. The children were reported on several occasions as being unlaw- 
fully absent on account of illness. An investigation was made and the mother 
interviewed. The following conditions were discovered : Three (jhildren of 



Maryland Public Schools ' 53 

school age were affected with some form of eczematous disease; one child's 
face was covered with sores ; no physician had been consulted and only simple 
home remedies had been applied. The mother had required all the children, 
even the grown-up boys, to wash the dishes, in turns, because she thought the 
medical effect of water in which dishes had been washed was beneficial to their 
skin. 

The seriousness of this case lies in two facts : the children had been kept 
from school for a large part of the year, and they had evidently been the source 
of infection in other homes, for the mother facetiously remarked that one of 
her daughters had visited relatives in an adjoining county and that the relatives 
were aflfected in the same way. The mother promised to call in a physician at 
the end of the week, but a visit to the family a month later revealed the fact 
that this had not been done. A warrant was issued for the arrest of the father. 
He eluded the officer on the occasion of the first visit and was arrested the 
following afternoon and spent the night in jail before a hearing could be. had. 
The father secured the services of a physician at once and the children were 
returned to school within a few weeks. 

Some will argue that this is an extreme case, but is typical to show the 
ignorance and indifference of many cases reported to the attendance depart- 
ment each 'year. The most serious handicap in handling such cases is the fact 
that they cannot be treated speedily and wisely without the assistance of a visit- 
ing nurse or a physician, for nothing short of prosecution will cause some parents 
to consult a physician. We have strong convictions that many of the epidemics 
that seriously affect school attendance and cause a great waste of money and 
valuable time to children might be prevented if the department had some such 
means of support. • 

Poverty is another important factor in the work. Much of it has been found 
to be due to improvident parents. One case which came to our notice in 1913 
is typical to explain the problem : The father and mother were addicted to the 
use of intoxicants, but the mother represented the worst form of degradation. 
The son had been a truant for years, and the daughter was fast falling into the 
brother's habit. Both parents worked in the industries, leaving the children 
without care during the day. An investigation showed that the house was 
almost denuded of furnishings, not even a bed being found. The boy was 
thirteen years of age and the girl eleven. The boy stated that he had to pick up 
coal wherever it could be found to keep the fire going at night, for the parents 
slept in large chairs. Other conditions were pitiful and need not be mentioned. 
The Baltimore County Children's Aid Society was brought into the case and 
temporary relief given. The mother was given a chance to reform her habits, 
and if she exhibited no inclination to do so, was to expect prosecution. The 
children were returned to school promptly, but in the course of a few weeks 
the mother lapsed, and, accordingly, was brought into court and paroled under 
supervision. The significant feature is that the children were kept in school 
quite regularly for two years and the home conditions showed marked improve- 
ment. People of this class usually return to their old habits from time to time; 
but, by supervision and the stimulus of law, they have been forced to work 
more regularly and spend their earnings for necessities rather than waste them. 



54 CoMi'LT.soKY School Ai'TiiNDAXCE 

On the other hand, there have been numerous cases where the families were 
in need because of some stress of circumstances. The Federated Charities of 
Highlandtown have been of valuable service in caring for those in that section 
who were in need of relief. While the work of the Baltimore County Children's 
Aid Society is primarily to provide homes and care for dependent and neg- 
lected children, it has also made provision for the relief work that usually 
accompanies such cases. In order to assist this society in charitable work and 
to extend our educational ideals to the children of the school, the Junior Chil- 
dren's Aid Society was organized in 1916. Mrs. Albert S. Cook was elected 
chairman, and through her efforts, assisted by Miss Mary A. Lucas, who was 
secretary of the parent organization, 39 organizations, containing 3,580 members. 
have been enrolled during the two years. The membership is purely voluntary, 
and the annual dues are ten cents for each member. Splendid contributions of 
cast-off clothing and shoes, made by the children, have been of great service to 
the attendance department. If it had not been for this assistance many pupils 
could not have been kept in school without serious consequences to the children 
themselves. 

The committee in charge of the promotion of social and educational work 
among the members of the society is composed of Mrs. Albert S. Cook, chair- 
man ; Mrs. Samuel M. Shoemaker, Dr. William Burdick, of the Public Athletic 
League; Miss Lida Lee Tall, assistant superintendent in cliarge of grammar 
grades, and John T. Hershner, Assistant Superintendent of Schools. The mem- 
bers ex-officio are Albert S. Cook, Superintendent of Schools, and George L. 
Jones, Secretary of the Henry Watson Children's Aid Society. 

The teachers have given their hearty co-operation in this work, and also in 
the work of enforcing the Compulsory School Attendance Law. 

The Junior members deserve special mention for their splendid contributions. 
It is significant to note from the report of Miss Lucas that 228 children 
were given assistance by the Society ; but probably the thing most worth while 
has been the social and educative influence upon its own members. E.xcellent 
opportunities have been found to motivate the study of civics and hygiene, and 
to stimulate the children's interest in proper standards of school attendance and 
conduct. 

The importance of compulsory school attendance to the farmer's child 
should not be underestimated. Our records show the average attendance of 
rural pupils to be much lower than that of pupils of suburban schools. This 
is accounted for, in part, by bad roads, longer distances for children to travel 
to school, and the difficulty farmers are having in securing help. There is, too, 
a traditional feeling among some farmers that a few years of schooling will 
suffice to equip their boys for productive service. 

It may be wisely argued that the boy on the farm gets important training 
in habits of industry, but this will not suffice to develop and maintain a con- 
tented rural people. The boys and girls must be given a chance to grow intel- 
lectually and socially. Only on this basis can they become economically efficient. 
Another matter of vital importance to the State is the training of children 
of foreign extraction. Owing to labor problems truck farmers are employing 
foreigners chiefly. They have had little or no training" in common with American 
ideals. If the function of our government is to train its citizens for loyal and 



Maryland Public Schools 55 

efficient service under a democratic form of government, it should see that these 
foreign children are given an elementary school training in the American school. 

Another phase of our educational method seems worthy of mention. In 
the spring of 1917 meetings were held, after the closing hour of school, in six 
of our largest schools. Notices were sent to about thirty-five of the most 
troublesome parents of each school to attend the meeting. They were given 
the option of attending or appearing before a magistrate on the charge of vio- 
lating the Compulsory Attendance Law. About 95 per cent, of the parents attended 
the meeting, and others sent reasonable excuses for their non-attendance. The 
Chief Attendance Officer devoted about one-half hour to a discussion of the aims 
of compulsory attendance and the need for regularity of school attendance. 
The meeting was then open for a conference of parents and teachers. Many 
of these parents had been in the school building for the first time. An oppor- 
tunity had been provided for each parent to discuss his particular problem with 
the teacher. Subsequent reports of the teachers have convinced us that such 
meetings are of great value to the compulsory attendance work. 

The transfer system has been also very helpful in the management of in- 
corrigible and truant children. Our experience leads us to know that the cause, 
at its source, is frequently found to be with some other member of the family. 
It had been the practice of pupils to move from one school to another for 
trivial reasons. This was a costly practice, but the demoralizing effect upon the 
schools was more serious. Principals have not been permitted to transfer 
where there has been a breach of discipline. This is a function of the Chief 
Attendance Officer and his two assistants. The results have been interesting 
and profitable to all concerned. In some instances teachers were at fault, and 
it was found wise to transfer the children ; but, usually, the causes were with 
the parents — in their lack of control or failure to co-operate with the teachers 
in the management of the children. 

The provision of law which requires children between the ages of thirteen 
and seventeen to attend a minimum of one hundred days each year, or until 
the completion of the seventh grade, has been very beneficial. Children who 
were slow in school work or who had been neglected were given additional oppor- 
tunities to secure an education. But in all probability the most valuable asset to 
the school system will be the training of parents to see the importance of send- 
ing children to school regularly between the ages of six and thirteen. 

No attempt has been made to enumerate all the causes of non-attendance 
or to explain the method of dealing with each. The aim has been to set forth 
the plan of work to explain a few of the big causes that reduce attendance, with 
their effects. An attempt has also been made to emphasize the importance of 
compulsory school attendance, both from an economic and social point of view. 



020 773 053 a 






